Okay. Well I know it's been a while since this blog was updated but hey, I'm in Sweden trying to do all those Swedish things....

So far the trip has been fantastic. The country and it's people are just fantastic. It appears that every car is a sports car. Every person dresses to the 9's every day. Even some of the funky stuff I wear in the states is outdated here. Yup the fashion capital of the world.

And the women in this country. It actually hurts my neck to go out into town. Every one you meet or pass is beautiful and elegant. Makes the mouth water just thinking about it...

The archetecture here is a nice mix of the Old Town (where the older buildings still reside) style and the new styles. Every building, young and old, is astetically pleasing to the eyes. When I was in Finland the past weekend, the buildings there were very unattractive and actually didn't really make me want to venture out of the hotel. The best places in Finland were the clubs and bars that we stumbled to and fro.

But as the trip winds down, I have to say what a nice refreshing change it has been for me. The people that I have met and the things I have done here far outweigh any previous trip that I did. I'll be back, a hair more European than normal and recharged to get back out and enjoy the world. That is the thing that these Swedes have taught me, to go out and enjoy the world.

See ya'll in a few days.

-LewisG

Okay. Well I know it's been a while since this blog was updated but hey, I'm in Sweden trying to do all those Swedish things....

So far the trip has been fantastic. The country and it's people are just fantastic. It appears that every car is a sports car. Every person dresses to the 9's every day. Even some of the funky stuff I wear in the states is outdated here. Yup the fashion capital of the world.

And the women in this country. It actually hurts my neck to go out into town. Every one you meet or pass is beautiful and elegant. Makes the mouth water just thinking about it...

The archetecture here is a nice mix of the Old Town (where the older buildings still reside) style and the new styles. Every building, young and old, is astetically pleasing to the eyes. When I was in Finland the past weekend, the buildings there were very unattractive and actually didn't really make me want to venture out of the hotel. The best places in Finland were the clubs and bars that we stumbled to and fro.

But as the trip winds down, I have to say what a nice refreshing change it has been for me. The people that I have met and the things I have done here far outweigh any previous trip that I did. I'll be back, a hair more European than normal and recharged to get back out and enjoy the world. That is the thing that these Swedes have taught me, to go out and enjoy the world.

See ya'll in a few days.

-LewisG

Well today is the day. It's been like Trains, Planes, and Automobiles. First the train ride from Portland to North Station in Boston. To Jerry's car in Boston. (With a quick ride to go see Star Wars Episode 2 on a Digital Projection theater...) Then off to Logan for the plane ride to Sweden. And as I stated already time is moving slowly but I'm sure it will pick up once I land.

And hey, all I forgot at home was toothpaste! Not bad for having four hours of sleep last night and spending most of the night packing. Hopefully I'll be back in a week and a half and I'm going to attempt to post a few things while I'm there.

Enjoy where ever you are. I'll be in Sweden definitely enjoying where I am...

- LewisG

I know. You forget to post things one day and look what happens. You get people complaining and just begging for something new to read in the morning. As if the world's events on the web are that much more fun to read.

Well since this will be a short week for me and add into the fact that I didn't get my Friday Musings up. We are going to do Friday Musings today. Call it Monday therapy.... Then again there's not too much to say so at least it will be short and sweet. (Getting ready for a cross Atlantic flight is really time consuming..)

A few things that I have an issue with lately. NBA playoff scheduling. Who wants to play every other night and get it over with? Who wants to see the playoffs run until the end of June Can they play Lenny Kravitz's song "Dig In" one more time? I think that the previous 100,000 times I didn't quite get it....

We've all seen the commercials for Dell Computers. The "Dude, you're getting a Dell" commercials. The annoying, highly caffinated pitch kid that Dell got. Well supposedly the brainiacs at Dell seem to think that they can cash in on his popularity. Now with your CD burner/100 gigabyte machine you too can get you're own Dude shirt or hat. How exciting. One wonders if he'll last longer than Spud's MacKenzie did for Budweiser in the 80's.

In an unrelated story, it appears that a Chinese company has come up with the worlds first translator to use the sound of the language to translate it into English. Can it do Spanish, French, Swedish, Russian, Arabian, or maybe Swahili? Nope it was designed to translate for your dog. Now I really can't speak for other dog owners but I'm pretty damn sure that when my dog needs to go out and pee. Or when he needs attention. Or when he wants to eat. (Which is always...) I don't think that a hundred dollar piece of electronics is gonna replace instinct with your pet...

48 hours until this writer heads across the pond......time cannot move more slowly than it is right now....and the second I land in Europe, time will pick up speed too fast....

- LewisG

Desparation is a tender track. It get's you every time. - U2

You ever feel mired in a funk? Mind seemingly lost in the high clouds? Things on your list of things to do seem to get longer and longer? Okay I'm beginning to sound like a commercial for Prozac. Here take one of these and feel better. Of course, watch for the 25 side effects that can occur....

So obviously I'm feeling like the person in the huge funk. I'm not talking about the type of funk like the P-Funk or Rick James. More like wondering when complete happiness will finally kick in. When family issues seem to be non existant. Friends are more outgoing and social. Work becomes a joy to return to. You have a girlfriend/boyfriend to spend quality time with. I know it's a lot to ask but once and a while when the planets are aligned correctly it can occur.

What is one to do? You can't really force the issue and have all these things be manipulated so that they all are not an issue. They all just seem to happen on their own. If patience is a virtue then I suppose that being impatient makes the funk, get funkier... You sit there wondering when is all this going to happen for me. When can I seem like things are going normally for once. No catastrophies or overly stressful situations. Simple stressful situations I can handle.

Where did all this come from? Geesh!! Lew used to be so much fun and his blog was interesting and uplifted my day when I read his articles. Now he sounds normal... Well folks we all get into da funk from time to time. It forces you to evaluate what you have and don't have. When the don't have's seem to pile up more than the have's then enter the Funk! But in time all things must return from the have not's to the have's. Being patient and happy about the positive things you have around you is paramount to personal happiness. I have great friends and fantastic pets. The entire group, no matter how foolish or down I am, will always be there for me. And for that there is no funk. That is when the P-Funk kicks in and the Mothership will land...

- LewisG

I do a lot of reading. Whether it's the internet or books. Recently I've seen a salvo of articles on the net, in magazines, and in the newspaper that seem to slam the technical support industry. People with cushy jobs who can't read a simple instruction manual nor try to figure things out on their own. Now don't get me wrong, without these people in the world there would be no need for any type of support system for digital products and services. But the simple truth is that they know nothing of the job and what it entails.

Lewis will now be stepping on his soap box...please do not place your hand close to his mouth...

The tech support industry is already filled to the max. With new digital products being released almost daily and new operating systems popping up like spring tulips there are a lot of things they need to know. Also with these new systems there are issues that arise after the product is released. So if 5,000 people buy the product and let's say that 1,000 or more of them have the same issue it means long call times and wait times for the consumer. It's not that we want you to wait for us, it's just the nature of the business. I'd say that one in every ten calls contains a consumer who is very computer literate and can do things on their computer system faster than someone else. The rest of those calls, out of the ten, usually consist of Joe New User with their latest computer that they have no idea about. Those are the calls that take more time for the techs to deal with.

And let's not forget the types of answers to simple questions that we receive. "Do I need the computer on?" "Is the computer on sir?" "Yes, but the screen is turned off so I can't see the program." Once we can filter through the question and answer session then we can get to the root of the issue and fix the issue. But it does take time. Yes, sometimes it can be a simple one click fix for your issue. Some other times, however, it can be a long call with multiple things to do. As you can imagine patience and restraint are two great traits for a technician to have.

So sit back and relax when calling a support line. Grab a beer and listen to the occasional bad elevator tune coming into your earpiece. Understand that yes, the call is important to us and we will answer your call as fast as we can. We all may be helping Joe New Computer Guy at the time.

- LewisG

Do you remember your college graduation? One of the last graduations that you may have participated in, unless you went for a Master's or Doctorate. The nervousness and the happiness of finishing 4 years of studying and partying with out a care in the world. Wrapping your hand around that diploma as if it was a bar of gold. Sleeping through half the speeches. Wanting to leave and head home for the graduation party!!

Now I'm a big fan of celebratrions. First of all you can get all the family together for the major event. sometimes it takes something that big to get some in the family to come out of the woodwork. Secondly, the lavish spread of food and beverages that will guarantee you leftovers for a full week. Thirdly it's one of the few times where you can get completely smashed in front of your family and they won't care. Which is nice...

I attended the graduation party of my good friend Emily, on Saturday. Everything that you could ask for in a graduation party, it was all there. Great food. Great drinks. Meet numerous people. Watching the family interact. Every five or six seconds the flash of a camera would freeze everyone. Emily running around saying hello to everyone, taking time to converse with each one of her guests. Dad working the grill. Mom providing drinks for the gathered guests. A beautiful frenzy of movement and speech. A sort of controlled chaos. Actually I think her parents looked more nervous than she did.

As the graduate it is your responsibility to do a lot of things during your own party. Greet all guests. Smile for mom's new digital camera every 3 minutes. Open all gifts from family and friends in front of them. And when you get that gift that just screams boring then making with the nice smile wins them over everytime. Tell the same graduation day story that you've told everyone about 100 times in a period of 3 hours or less. Explain your career goals the same number of times.

It's all the same with every graduation party that you go to. Just remember to eat the quiche if asked and whenever in doubt about the flavor of something there is always a dog around to feed.

Happy Graduation to All who graduated this weekend!!!

- LewisG

Another fine edition of of Lewis' Friday Musings...

From the news wire department... An interesting tidbit about how inmates in prison are putting themselves out in the dating game by plkaceing personal ads. In one ad an inmate listed all his qualites and interests. What he failed to mention is that he killed his last two girlfriends, rather disturbingly if I remember correctly, and is looking at a loooong time in jail. Now what would cause one to even want to answer a personal ad of a known felon and presently locked up? Is it that hard to find a decent person in the world?

The Boston Red Sox won their 8,000th game in franchise history on Wednesday night, a 12-6 win over the Oakland A's. Interesting tidbit of info, there have been 6,609 wins by the Red Sox since their last World Series win in 1918.

Last weekend the movie, Spider Man, pulled in $114 million at the box office. The largest 3 day opening ever. Simple story. Geeky boy gets bit by spider and gains supernatural powers of the spider. Learns how to use them and then faces a supervillian. You're basic hero story. When looking at the movies that have done well since September 11th, it seems that movies that feature a hero, whether it be from the comic world or a real life event (i.e. Black Hawk Down), people are flocking to movies that have the hero element. We want to go to the movies to forget about our problems and issues with the world. But we also want to leave the theater feeling uplifted and more positive than when we entered. These stories of heroism pull at our heart strings and invoke feelings that resemble the feelings we gave all those New York City police and fire personnel during and after those dreadful attacks. We need our heroes more than ever...

The Lighter Side of Life: A few days ago I mentioned to you folks about asking to do some modeling for an art photographer. Well upon further review I'll be doing this endeavor and I personally hope that they end up being sold in New York City or someother place. Nothing would be worse than going to a party at an unfamiliar house, condo, or apartment and seeing a framed picture and you realize it's you. And I'm also hoping that the picutre doesn't end up on a bathroom wall....

To any mothers out there who may be reading this, or to those of you who are God Parents to a friends child, have a Happy Mother's Day on Sunday!

Enjoy the weekend people and hopefully the good weather.

- LewisG

Okay. It's Thursday. It's cloudy out. I'm tired. And I have nothing to say today...maybe later...maybe not...

Origionally this post was going to be about photography and being asked to model for some art pieces but as I was driving in today the idea morphed and changed. It developed a bit of a mind of it's own. I couldn't put my finger on where the brain impulses were going and when the hell they would stop. Images flooded my brain and then upon arriving into the great cubicle world at work, it struck me. It's spring.

I know I can be the master of the obvious at times however the final snow fall of the winter season fell here about two weeks ago. It wasn't exactly helping to imagine all the tulips popping out of the ground or of birds returning to dive bomb my Jeep during the night. But since we have been in a steady weather pattern lately it does appear that the seasons are changing. And for the better.

As I was driving down the asphalt highway, I noticed more and more trees bearing their little buds. The light green color filtering the sunrays causing them to almost glow. Some trees showing their spring flowers of white and yellow dancing in the wind. With the windows open you can even smell the occasional whiff of freshly cut grass, another sure sign of the warmer season.

On the way in I stopped at the gas station to pick up a bit more of the octane for the vehicle. You could see more happiness in people's faces. The longer days, combined with warmer weather and sunlight, seem to bring out the best in people. People are more outgoing and seem to be more open. In my time in Maine I realized that from November to March people hibernate. They enclose themselves in their warm shells and wait out the cold and snow until it is all gone and the flowers begin to bloom. But once those flowers being to show their insides to the world people come out in droves.

Where I live, I have a full view of Hadlock Field, home of the Portland Sea Dogs AA baseball team. On a good night, which hasn't been too often, I can hear the roar of the crowd as a ball leaves the building. Even on my walks with the pup when the game is going on you can hear the concession people, the crack of the bat, and the sound of the foghorn when said white ball leaves the yard.

So why not go out and smell the grass. Roll in it. Pick some flowers. Go see a ball game. It's spring and it's time to get out of the winter blahs. Recollect your thoughts and use all that new found summer energy to enjoy this great time of year. I know for me personally, the weather change has been more beneficial for me. Waking me from a two month haze. Now with the weather more to my liking it has cleared my head and created a new and more improved LewisG. Go ahead and try it. When you get home tonight (and after saying hello to any signifigant other you may have) go outside of your house, apartment, or whatever dwelling you use and just take a deep breath. (For those of you near a dump or waste facility...go to a friends place in the country...) Inhale and enjoy the warmth of the air and the fresh smell of spring. Your head will clear and like George Costanza you will feel serenity now.

- LewisG "Swami"

To start off I need to post something that should have been posted yesterday but I was having the day off so no dice there. A Very Happy Birthday to Kerri (Monday) and Kelly (Wednesday). My two former roommates in the palacial estates of Read Street. Some of the best roommates to have. Enjoy your brithday's. Cheers. LewisG :o)

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming....

While driving into work this morning my 1997 Jeep Cherokee officially hit the 100,000 mark. Started with 13 miles on it. Still in excellent condition if you don't mind the faint smell of dog. So I started to think about all the things in my life in the past 5 years that had to do with the black beast...

- 5 years
- 4 different jobs (seasonal or otherwise)
- 4 girlfriends and one former fiance
- 1 dog and 2 cats
- 30 oil changes
- 2 tune ups
- 4 pairs of windshield wipers
- Got it stuck in a bog....twice...
- 1 steering box due to bog issues..
- 3 containers of Windex to clean "doggy drool" from the windows...
- 1 set of speakers (I like music loud, what can I say?)
- 2 Phish shows in Northern Maine
- a few fuzzy drives home from the Old Port (I'm not going to be specific here....)
- 2 apartment moves
- 2 sets of tires
- a few million gallons of gas
- multiple Dunkin Donuts coffee spills
- many camping trips
- a handful of snow enduced fish tailing and donuts (No really...it was the snow...not me pulling my E-brake...)
- 1 set of fog lights
- 3 break ins (and all they took was loose change, and of all things, my manual...)
- over a thousand bugs squashed on the windshield
- three daredevil birds swooping at the Jeep, and for those of you keeping score at home, Jeep - 3 Birds - 0
- 0, count 'em 0 tickets or traffic violations. (Knock on wood...) And with the way I drive, I'm surprised about that statistic...
- 3 bumper stickers or window stickers.
- ....and a partridge in a pear tree...

Friday Musings

A few things either read or overheard this past week. TGIF folks! Who's buying tonight?

The Pure Genius Award goes out to a pair of robbers in Monroe, Washington. Coming into a Starbucks before opening the two robbers got the staff into the back and took the loot from the safe in the store. Not satisfied with some free coffee on the way out the robbers donned the Starbucks apparrel and helped customers for 30 minutes, pocketing all the cash from the transactions. I just find that ingenious as they also got away.

The Advertising Award goes out to a new male enhancement product whose name escapes me at the moment. The pill is similar to the popular Viagra product so when a male takes one make sure you stay away from his crotch. The great thing about this commercial is that it runs through a series of short shots of the husband grinning from ear to ear the entire commercial. Even his neighbor is jealous as he watches him enter his house smiling and the neighbor's water hose appears to go a bit limp. Even his wife is happy. She's got the same happy grin on her face too. If you haven't seen the commercial then then humor in this paragraph just made no sense. If you have you are laughing right now...

The "When is Too Much Safety Too Much Safety" Award goes out to the state of Vermont who now requires that the students that participate in the pole vault wear safety helmets. I was wondering how all this equiptment would make things safer. I know when I'm wearing pads for hockey that I'm more apt to go a bit harder and faster cause I am wearing protection and padding. Don't you think the kids will as well. Push the limits cause of a helmet on their head. Raising the bar another 6 inches? Sure go for it. If I miss I'm wearing a helmet.

The "Lewis Was in the Wrong Place at the Wrong Time" Award goes to the little girl at Hannaford yesterday. While picking through the salad line arranging the croutons and other vegetable goodness a child, not older than 7 came up to me. Peering down she just looked up to me and asked, "Are you one of the boys from N'Sync?" Can't figure out if that was a compliment or a slam. Why can't I look like a guitarist instead of a pop singer? Needless to say, I apologized for not being Lance or Joey and her more than embarrased mom came over, obviously hearing the conversation, and bringing her child back to her cart.

- LewisG

"I love the smell of commerce in the morning!!" - Mallrats

Had to run to the great Maine Mall last night to pick up a Yoga pad for my class which starts tonight. (If i'm not here tomorrow it's cause of the over stretching I may have done. Probably stuck in the lotus position or one of the other funky named positions...) When thinking of this trip it was only supposed to take a mere 30 minutes from my place to the mall and back. It ended up being a frustrating 1 hour and 30 minutes. Made me realize that all mall trips are frighteningly similar.

Driving to the mall is probably the easiest part. You're going over what you need to get and where. A few non consequential lights on the way over. And they all seem to turn red when you are one car to the intersection. Another Murphy's law I believe.

Then comes the parking extravaganza that I like to call playing Circles. Around and around we go. Up and down and up and down ailes of cars, SUV's, and trucks. Following the occasional patron back to their vehicle only to have them look at you and say that they are just dropping a few things off. When you do find a spot it is so far removed from the entrance you want to use that you need a Sherpa to find your way to the mall. And it always starts to get cold and rainy when you have a far off spot. (obviously different for those readers in warmer climates...)

Once inside the mecca of commerce it's like watching moving cattle. People walk on the right side of the road when going through the mall. The seasoned mall veteran can bob and weave their way around and through oncoming traffic. The unseasonsed professional can get caught up in all the people and signs bellowing about 30 - 50 percent off!! As you begin the trek across the floor to your intended store location you start noticing the people who have been in there a long time. Eyes containing that glazed look, peering down at the feet of the person in front of them. Bags slung over shoulders and wrapped in hands. Feet moving in unison with those around him/her. You almost wonder if these people need the cardiac machine to bolt them back into reality.

And while I'm at it, what is it with people absolutely having to shop for clothes in the same store as everyone else? Being origionally from Boston, it was easy to find a different store to shop at for clothing. There were, after all, about 20 malls in a 30 mile radius from where I grew up. Here in Maine there is just one mall and two outlet centers. But it seems that everyone you see shopping in the mall has the same bags and similar looks as the next person. People!! Let's start looking for some origionality. Separate yourself from the A&F and the Gaps. Try something new. It's like a movie about clones. Frightening...

Sitting down to enjoy a cup of Starbucks (well as much as i could...had to put about a pound of sugar to defeat the burnt bean taste), I watched the moving cattle stream pass me. None of them allowing eye contact. Just straight ahead and go. I realized how funny it is to people watch in the mall. Trying to count all the mallrats. Look for people with the same bags from the same stores. See how may cafe latte's you can down in 15 minutes. Need to combat boredom while waiting for that signifigant other? Sit by the movie store and watch a free movie or watch the same promo tape 20 times in ten minutes. And never forget where the arcade is so you can blow all those quarters that are left over from laundry night the other night.

On the way out, now with your hands filled with only one thing on your master list and ten other things that have no pertinent value to you other than they were a complete impulse buy, the rain has stopped and a glimmer of the sunset appears in the distance. You look up facing the long journey back to base camp/vehicle with your Sherpa. Filling up the back seat with all your new purchases and setting into the vehicle you begin the arduous task of traveling with traffic this time home. And again, another Murphy's Law, it seems that all the people are leaving at the same time as you are. And their fucking sloooowwwwww....

That's life running back and forth from the mall. Same way every time. Maybe they should move the stores around one night and really confuse people. I definitely think that the florescents in the mall really got to me.

But let's face the facts here folks. The mall is your all-in-one shopping experience. What other place can you buy all those odd things on your list? Need new shoes? They got it! A dog from a puppy farm? They got it! Lava Lamp? They got it! A Green Lantern logo T-Shirt? They got it! Soap? They got it! Edible underwear? Maybe...depends on your mall.

- LewisG

....20 days until Sweden and Finland....let the countdown commence!!

A tribute to my best friend's grandmother, Ms. Ada Lyons.

Now realize I didn't really know Ada very well. I would see her on special occasions for the Sheehan/Lyons family as I was considered to be a second child and brother to Jerry. And remember Jerry, mom always liked me best. I think it was because she didn't have to deal with me on a constant basis. But that is a different story for a different day. As I was saying, we would see each other on family occasions at the Sheehan/Lyons household in Milton. She would always greet you with a smile and want to know all that has been going on. And her having the same last name as my grandparents was also nice. she would see my grandmother at the market or later in life at Winter Valley where they lived in the same building. My grandmother would tell me that she saw Jerry's grandmother out and that they chatted for a looong time together.

My favorite memory of Jerry's grandmother was during one of the first Christmas celebrations that I was invited to at her house. She sat me down and placed plate after plate of food and appetizers in front of me. (Crabbies, quickest way to my heart...) She would ask me questions about my family and my life. Laugh at all the silly things that happened. Discuss the young children of the family. And on the way out the door with Jerry for the night, she would make sure that we knew to play nice and to not do anything stupid. Not exact wording but you get the idea.

To the Sheehan and Lyons family, I sent my deepest condolences. Ada was a great woman who was completely full of life and enjoyed her time here. May she enjoy the peace and serenity of Heaven.

- LewisG