Note to self, judo isn't the best thing to do........

after getting home from a 9 day trip with your buddies. After almost passing out during warm-ups and then getting owned by teenagers I thought it couldn't get worse, then I almost shit my pants on the mat. I managed to make it to the bathroom in time. Crisis avoided. I was debating not going because I was still recovering from the previous trip but I needed the exercise.

Speaking of the trip it was good. I don't have any pictures because I lost my camera at Dc's wedding. Ask him or Kevin about it they will be more than happy to tell you the story. Anyway London was good, the wheather sucked but thats typical London. First day we went to Picadilly circus, Trafalger Square, Big Ben and Houses of Parliment and then Westminster Abby. Second day we went to Tower Bridge and then Tower of London to see the crown jewels. Or maybe that was the first day whatever that's not important. Crown Jewels were cool to see. Saw changing of the guard at Buckingham and then went and saw Kensington Palace and Hyde Park. We went to the British museum and saw the Rosetta Stone and then wondered around while looking for the Magna Carta which Kevin insisted was inside. Because Kevin is to pussy to ask for help we left without finding it. The next day kevin told us it was in the basement. We went back to find it was not in the basement. So we walked to the train station to catch the train to Paris and while we were walking there we passed the British Library, where the Magna Carta actually is. Of course we didn't figure that out until we were actuallly in the train and it was moving. Go figure.

Paris was great. We nly had 2 days but we hit all the big sights. Eifel Tower, Arc de Triumph, Notre Dame and the Lourve. The Lourve was great excpet I still don't get the fascination with the Mona Lisa. The painting directly across from it takes up an entire wall and everybody is crammed around the Mona Lisa which is the smallest painting in the room. It's just some lady half smiling. Thats why I'll never be a big art guy. The funniest part though was when we were in Paris and we got to our hotel and turned on the tv. Dan and Kevin wanted to watch some of the french open which is played in Paris. Before this we were walking in the rain for almost an hour looking for our hotel. Kevin turned on the Tv and saw the French open was on a rain delay and said in a deadly serious tone "god it must be raining in Paris" or I wonder how hard it's raining in Paris or something to that nature. Considering all he had to do was turn his head to the right as he was in Paris and was sitting next to a window and was soaking wet from walking around in the rain

Rome was awesome. Went to the Pantheon the first day. Vatican and Sistine Chapel the second day which if you like art you must go to the sistine chapel. The artwork on the ceiling blew me away and I am not the biggest art fan. Then we entered St Peters Basillica. Good god almighty that place in huge. If you're in Rome you need to go see it. Next day was the Colisseum and Forum. The history of this place is amazing. So many old structures still standing and in relatively good shape.

Along the way we may have had an adult beverage or two. The last night we decided to bust out some karoke at the irish pub in Rome and tore that place down thus cementing my place as a karoke legend. They probably bronzed the microphone and put it on a plaque after my use.

World Cup starts this Friday and I will be watching it while talking smack to all the europeons around me. I already got a plastic horn I got from a six pack of beer and they are playing the games on a big screen in a big park in town. Sunday I will rest up because Monday I leave for........ Amsterdam.