June 20, 2010

June 20, 2010

The sun setting on me on my last weekend day in Novy Bydzov was hidden behind the gloomy clouds to the east. On this Sunday I possessed just enough energy to even notice the sun was leaving me and leaving with only three more days here. Overall, the day was pretty dull. However, I did spend the morning once again helping my friend dig his trench for his foundation to the wall he was building. The digging went a lot smoother today; the earth was much weaker in the area we had to dig today. After finishing the dig his girlfriend made us lunch. Before we started digging she and he had told me they were preparing lunch for me and this lead to me being distracted during much of our work efforts. For those who don’t know me all that well, I am an extremely picky eater and I mean extremely, there are probably far more foods I won’t eat then I will. Anyhow, the majority of the time I was digging I was trying to think of different excuses as to why I would not eat the food she had prepared. I was a guest in their house, she was cooking for me to thank me for my help with the work at the house, and I didn’t want to come off rude. However, there really are some foods I really cannot eat, like onions. I was lucky though. When we had finish we went inside for lunch and very thoughtfully my friend’s girlfriend had remember from the time we went with them to Kutna Hora I was a very picky eater. She had prepared a very simple, delicious meal. It was simply chicken in some sort of sauce, no vegetables, and rice. I even had seconds.

After we finished eating we moved over to the couch and started watching a World Cup match. Slovakia was playing. I really was exhausted and I wanted my friend to drive me home, but I didn’t know how to say it. As we watched the game I think I feel asleep at least a couple times, sitting straight up, I don’t think they noticed though. When halftime of the match came I finally worked up the nerve to ask him to drive me back to my apartment. Some people may ask why I would wear down my body and spend my last weekend helping a friend work around his house? And to me the answer is right there in the question. He was a good friend to me while I have been here in the Czech Republic and that it is all the incentive I needed to tell him I would help. The two home cooked meals didn’t hurt either.

Back at my apartment I was left with no plans of doing anything the rest of the day. So, I decided to start my packing. As I packed, pulling down all the maps Andrea and I have collected from our adventures, stuffing all the recycling, I have collected and hid away in a closet for the last four months, into garbage bags, and putting some of my clothes away in my suitcase, I watched Pineapple Express for about the fifth time. I have to thank Mike for that. While he was visiting he was able to transfer the movies he had on his IPod onto my computer and it has been a great source of entertainment.

After watching the movie and doing as much packing as I could do for the day I headed up to the Matrix to check my internet and call Andrea. It was nice. We actually got a chance to speak on Skype for a couple of minutes and I got to see her and Ernie. I think the funniest part is, and I know this is going to make me look really bad, but whenever Andrea tells Ernie that she is talking to Daddy, Ernie starts looking around the room for me. And whenever he hears my voice over the computer he looks for me. It’s incredibly cheesy, but it I thought it was nice. It funny I never thought I would get as attached to a dog as I have, but I can’t wait to see him. I write this not to take away anything from how much I miss Andrea, she looks straight into the camera when I speak to her and she doesn’t get confused at all. It will be less than a week until I see Andrea in New York and I think I can hold out. I just can’t believe it will be so soon it feels like it was just days ago I was dropping her off at the airport in Prague and writing my first entry in this series.

I didn’t stay up at the Matrix too long. I ran into another friend I have made while staying here, John, the friend who I have been showing a few things on the turntables. He invited me over to play on his turntables, but I was just too sore and tired. I declined and just went home where I watched yet another movie in bed. This time I watched another movie complimentary of Mike, but quite the opposite. I watched Slumdog Millionaire, I think this was only my third time watching this one, great movie though. By the time it was finished the sun was gone and eyes would not stay open any longer.