Blevinicus: Work and Eat

In my two glorious days off this weekend following a three-day NCAA Track meet I had the pleasure (haha) of hosting, I went back and rewatched the TV show Spartacus: Blood and Sand. While the quality of several of the scenes is laughable I am entrenched in the plot lines of the show. Granted it is a show filled mostly of blood and nudity which is not normally my cup of tea. However, it contains so much more than that built in the storylines of the characters. To those who have not seen it, it is about a man who goes off to fight a war in conjunction with the Romans and after some betrayel from the Romans and some killing of the Roman army he has his wife taken away and he is sold as a slave to a place that trains gladiators.

It is one of those shows that you get so involved with you start picturing yourself as a part of the show, going through what ifs in your head. When I am done thinking about how poor of a gladiator I would be, I begin to carry forth the premis of the show to my own life.

This show would be called Blevinicus: Work and Eat. Whereas all the gladiator show contains is blood and sand (and nudity) for the most part, my show (or life) pretty much contains work and eat. There may be a little bit of sleep mixed in there but even that is rare. Spartacus' entire being was driven by his one true love, Sura. He would give anything including his life to be with her for eternity. I have no equal to this as I have not found the lady to strike me this way. I picture the day when such love exists and I have one to call my own. For now the thing that drives me the most is getting to a day off. I fight through the weeks on end of consecutive work only to taste the sweetness of one day where I am not called, emailed or texted about work. These days are so uncommon that when they do come I struggle to think of how to spend them and end up watching 20 some hours of a gladiator TV show. These days off are my Sura or if you compare it to Braveheart, my freedom. Spartacus got through most days thinking of the time he would be with his wife again. I get through most days thinking of lunch and getting out of the office to go eat.

In the TV show, the gladiators fight in the arena, some for fame and money, others to stay alive and gain their freedom. I fight the battles of hosting events and dealing with others. In my job there is a lot we can't control. We have no control over the outcome of an event and often have to wait on others constantly to get what we need done. I would say for something that takes 10 minutes I usually wait an hour's time. There is no fame or money in our job no matter how much we dream of it so I guess that leaves me just trying to stay alive and gain the freedom of one day off every couple of months.

Some of my favorite movies are the ones where there is a very well-though out plan. This is one of the reasons why the A-Team was such a great show. Every episode included a plan to carry out to save somebody and destroy the bad guy. And like Hannibal Smith, I love it when a plan comes together. Spartacus had a couple of genious plans to kill everybody and escape slavery. I like to think that I would have the capability to come up with such a plan and maybe one day I could write for movies doing just such a think. The Oceans 11, 12 and 13 movies all had great plans as did the Thomas Crown Affair. I plan in my head all the time ways that I can enjoy my day off but I always fail to execute and end up on my couch watching movies.

I am not really sure if any of this makes sense but I seem to be in full Blevinicus: Work and Eat mode right now. I am still one month away from not being crazy busy with work and although I lost a lot of weight due to stress awhile back, the LB's are coming back because now all I do is eat and have developed a clear mind like what happened to the main character in Office Space. I sort of zone out, not to the point where I don't know what is happening, but just to the point that nothing worries me anymore. I felt very sick with stress in March and can't go back to that feeling so no matter what happens I will not get concerned over it.

I also find myself talking like they did in the Spartacus TV show. The other day I mentioned in a series of interviews that it was time for the Primus. Everyone looked at me like I had two heads. I had to explain that it meant the marquee event, the person they were all waiting to talk to was coming up next. In the show the Primus was the main event of the gladiator games and usually featured the top fighters. It would be the championship title match of Wrestlemania or the Kentucky Derby after a full day of races before it. I also refer to money as coin now like the show and refer often to things happening because of the Gods such as "the sky will open up and rain will fall if the gods have it so."

Big Ben meets Big Ben

I recently spent 10 days in Europe for my last master's class at Virginia Commonwealth University. Most people question my degree because of this class but to me it was well deserved after trying to mix in an average 50-60 hour work week with two classes per semester and all the work that went into doing well in those classes. Since so much came out of this class in Dublin, Liverpool, London and Paris I decided to break it down by categories for this blog.

Big Ben vs. Big Ben
I would like to start with the obvious highlight of the trip. Myself "Big Ben" finally met face-to-face with the famously named Big Ben in London. I feel there was mutual respect between the two. I had no idea that Big Ben was a bell and not the giant clock but the bell tolls for thee. I have tried to live down the National Lampoon's line "Look kids, Big Ben, Parliament" for quite a few years but my experience was similar. As was the case with much of the trip it was a quick view and then on to the next thing. I would have loved to spend some time there but I was just happy we got to see so many things in such a short amount of time.

Big Ben vs. Big Ben

Dublin

I was really excited about going to Dublin and drinking like an Irishman. However, the city was even better than I imagined. One of my favorite things was the cobblestone streets that went through the Temple bar district. It would not be fun to run a marathon on but lucky for me I don't like running period so I was ok. It was my first experience with traffic flowing in the opposite direction of the U.S. though. Good thing I was taught to look both ways before crossing the street because the tendency to look left first was still intact. 

Cobblestone Streets

Dublin Drinking

Now I still accomplished my goal for drinking in Dublin. However, the first night I had five beers and stumbled back to the hotel. I blame it on the jet lag and having not slept more than four hours in the previous 36 hours but it could have been that I am getting old and can't hang like I used to. After three I felt a little buzzed and started to head back to the hotel. The beers ran through me quickly and I had to stop twice at a pub along the way to use the restroom and of course get another beer. I was proud that I tried different beers every place I went the entire trip. My internal GPS did get me back to the hotel eventually and luckily my roomate, Greg, was in the lobby to help me find the room. The next night I did much better, drinking just as many beers or one or two more and not feeling buzzed at all. 

I enjoyed my Guinness

Guinness Storehouse

The coolest thing we did in Dublin was go to the Guinness Storehouse. We were pushing closing time as our previous tour ran long but managed to call ahead and have the tickets waiting for us. As we were about to go on the tour, we found out the free beers were about to close up shop as well so we skipped the tour and went for the important stuff. Greg and I were apparently the only ones who listened to the announcement that the fourth floor was learn how to pour the perfect pint and the sixth was the bar. We went and learned the tricks of the trade, gaining a certificate of excellence afterwards to go with our perfectly-poured beer. Everyone else just went and some other person pour it for them. I don't like Guinness but that is U.S. Guinness. Dublinites tell me it is the water but whatever the reason Guinness is very good in Ireland. I filled my second night with pints of Guinness in fact. One of those was free as the bar on the sixth floor was about to close and our small group talked the bartender into giving us the extra ones she had poured. She kept pouring more after as a private group came in but we didn't want to push our luck by trying a second time. This was at the Gravity Bar which had a great view from the top of the tower overlooking the city of Dublin. 

The Perfect Pour

Dublin Sports

Contrary to how this blog has started out we did do a lot related to sports. In Dublin we toured Aviva Stadium (soccer stadium), Croke Park where Gaelic Football and Hurling occur and the National Aquatic Centre. Aviva is only a few years old and was very cool. It was our first of a few experiences where we got to walk out of the tunnel to crowd noise and music to the pitch (field). At Croke Park we learned that hurling is the fastest moving sport alive and ridiculous while Gaelic Football is not to be taken lightly either. The cool thing at the National Aquatic Centre was we got to watch swimming Olympic Trials races for the tri-nations although they were slower than collegiate races in the U.S.

Aviva Stadium

Liverpool

I will be honest. I did not have high expectations for Liverpool. The only thing I knew about it was the Beatles had some connection to the city. It was the most pleasantly surprising part of my trip as I had a blast. First of all the drive there was spectacular and everything I pictured in my head about England only with a lot more sheep. Much like driving through Eastern Colorado and seeing a ton of cows in every pasture, in England it was hundreds of sheep everywhere you looked.

Holy Sheep!

Best Day Everton

The first thing we did before even going to the hotel in Liverpool was go to the English Premier League game between Everton and Fullham. This game was a lot of fun as the hometown Everton won 4-0. Six minutes in to the game they scored on a penalty kick after a player was tackled in the box. The equivalnet of 4-0 is like a 50-0 football game = beatdown. Two Americans were on the field. With a shutout performance, Everton goalie Tim Howard made us proud. Also the most exciting thing for me was watching Clint Dempsey as he looks just like my buddy Tomko. Holla Tomko! I could not zoom in enough to get a picture in focus but he is wearing pink shoes. Unfortunately Dempsey/Tomko was on the losing team. The game was so much fun our grouped came up with the slogan "Best Day Everton" which was used a lot throughout the trip. 

Best Day Everton

Michael Tomko and Clint Dempsey

Liverpooligan

The term I came up with from being in Liverpool was Liverpooligan. We all partied hard like hooligans but did not stir up any trouble (that I know of). We were staying at Albert Docks which reminded me of the Inner Harbor in Baltimore somewhat. There were several restaurants and bars to enjoy. I knew there would be some crazy stuff when the name of a bar included Freak Show in its title. Yes, I ended up there and after having several drinks I witnessed two girls in scimpy outfits grinding metal to shoot sparks all over the place. The sparks did not feel good so I got out of the way but some embraced it and danced underneath. People were dressed up like it was New Year's Eve in New York. I don't get that dressed up, well except for the ESPYs. I did not fit in but still had fun.

Albert Docks - Home of the Freak Show

Cavern Club

The best part of Liverpool for me was the Cavern Club. This is where the Beatles got their start apparently. The second day we were there was a day off but it was pouring rain. I foolishly walked to find the Cavern Club and meet up with some people. It was hard to find and my directions were poor so I ended up walking for over an hour and was drenched when I found it. I had a couple of beers at the Cavern Pub first and figured I missed the group but then went across the street to the Cavern Club. I went down three or four floors beneath street level to find a jovial group that had twice as many beers as me hanging out in a cave essentially. I had some catching up to do so I started downing beers. The music was awesome and the band played several Beatles songs. Then almost the entire class showed up and it was a great time.

Help! It was a Hard Day's Night!

Liverpool Sports

Outside of the soccer game we did not do a lot with sports in Liverpool. On our way out of town we stopped to visit the Everton Youth Academy and found out it is legal to sell nine-year olds. We also found out that the Everton players make good money because we saw the cars they drive in the parking lot as we were leaving. After that we went to Loughborough University to take a tour. It was interesting to see the different sports at a University level in Europe and we got to see some cricket players taking some whacks in essentially the equivalent of a baseball batting cage. My favorite part, however, was the Sir David Wallace building. If any of you watch The Office you get the humor in this.

Dunder Mifflin knighthood

London

I was really looking forward to going to London but was actually disappointed which was the reversal from Liverpool. Don't get me wrong I loved London and want to go back but I really was excited about touring the Olympic venues. Unfortunately construction is still going on and all we got to do was look at them from afar.

2012 Summer Olympics

Furry Hats

I was also excited about getting a picture taken with a guy in a furry hat. However, those weren't around so I settled for one with a guy in a pointy hat. I read that if you touch them they will beat the bloody hell out of you so I kept my distance. However, the changing of the horse guard was starting so he stomped his foot real hard and scared the crap out of me as I was yelled at by another guy to move away. Later on we saw the furry hats in the changing of the guard for Buckingham Palace. I was satisfied with that.

Cheer up! I am an annoying tourist.

There are the furry hats

Picadilly Circus

The final night in London was free. Some people were going to see Platform 9 3/4 from Harry Potter (we took the train from there the next day) but I couldn't decide what I wanted to do. I ended up taking the train to Picadilly Circus. It was basically like New York's Times Square and unfortunately not a real circus. Although the street lined with strip clubs and sex shops could have had some circus performer types. I avoided that street and went to a pub that was four stories or so tall and had a giant tree in the middle of it. A bartender at place I ate dinner told me about it and I ended up hanging out with a man and two gorgeous ladies from New Zealand that now live in London. Another good night.

A tree in a bar?

London Sports

Outside of the Olympics the only thing we did with sports in London was tour Wembley Stadium. This is the home of the English soccer National Team. It was nice to see the stadium and Wayne Rooney's jersey but the cool thing was that the press conference to announce the National Team head coach was taking place while our tour was going on and we went right by the room. We also got to take our picture with the FA Cup but I was too cheap to pay for the picture.

Wembley, not to be confused with Wimbledon

Paris

Paris did not get off to a great start for our entire group. We took the high speed train from London that travels around 150 mph and goes underneath the English Channel which is pretty cool but the view around the Paris train station showed a lot of graffiti and the city was very dirty. Also our hotel was not in the best location. I chose to walk around and kill a little time when we got there but I felt like I was going to get jumped for about 10 straight blocks. Three to five guys were hanging out in front of every store and would just stare at me as I walked by. It was very uncomfortable but I made it back to the hotel unscathed. When we all got on the bus to go to a soccer game I sensed everyone felt the same way I did about Paris. However, the mood quickly changed when we reached a different part of town that was a lot nicer. 

Louvre changed Paris for the better

Robert

For the first three cities we visited our bus driver's name was Robert. He was a cool dude who was very friendly and maneuvered the bus around like a geo metro. He drove with precision and quickness that impressed all of us students. When we got to France we missed Robert and the new bus drivers didn't help any. They were all rude, obnoxious, crazy drivers and smoked like freight trains. I wish Robert could have come with us to Paris. 

Montmartre

On the first free night we had in Paris, most everyone decided to go to the Eiffel Tower. I ended up going to Montmartre with the trip leaders. It is a part of the city up on top of a hill that has a view overlooking the entire city and has some quaint cafes and shops. It put me in a very good mood and I don't know if I was feeling adventurous from the area or not but I tried foods I normally would not try. We had escargot (snails) for appetizers and then I ordered frog legs for my main course. The escargot looked green and slimy but I ignored the look and they weren't bad. Same with the frog legs but the garlic butter probably helped the taste. I had seven frog legs so seven frogs had to die for my meal. Not bad for a meat and potatoes guy from the land where beef is every meal. It was a great night as we walked back down the hill past some more shops, stopping for wine at a couple of places along the way.

Seven of these guys died for my meal

Versailles

We bused about an hour from Paris to Versailles which is the royal palace of France. We only had an hour to go through it but I could have spend an entire day. A lot of the ceilings and walls were hand painted which made the inside of the palace amazing to look at. The outside was even more impressive as the gardens were at least 10 times the size of the palace and all groomed like an Alice in Wonderland maze. We did happen to hear some gun shots outside while checking out the gardens. I wish I could have taken a golf cart to see all the gardens. There were single shots and some automatic fire. Either there was a gun range nearby or they were out hunting frogs for the cafe at Montmartre. 

Paint by Number?

How does your garden grow?

Last Day

We essentially had the entire last day in Paris free. I wanted to make the most of it so I got up at 6 a.m. to go see the Statue of Liberty. When I was little I remember going to New York and we just missed the ferry to the Statue of Liberty so my mom was upset we only got to see the back of it. I have since made it back and showed her pictures of the front and now, for you Mom, here is the front of the Paris Statue of Liberty as well.

After looking at the Statue of Liberty I decided to go and climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower. It wasn't open yet so I waited an hour in line and another half hour after that to get my ticket before finally ascending to the top. I weaved through old ladies and young children at a fastened pace all the way to the top. It is a lot like the Empire State Building with a view overlooking the city. I enjoyed the view but the time it took was unfortunate as it cost me a chance to walk through the Louvre. Oh well I did what every tourist should do and that is go up the Eiffel Tower.

American tourist in the way of a great view

Official Dinner

I guess every year on this trip there is an official dinner. We had the choice of duck or salmon and I chose to try duck. It was awesome and I ended up getting it the next night at dinner as well. We also had plenty of wine as the waiters kept the glasses full. It was a great night but there is a side story that goes along with it. I was told to dress nice for the dinner but I didn't know they meant suit nice. I discovered, luckily, the day before that all the guys brought suits with them. I didn't want to look shabby so I found a suit store around the corner from our hotel. I found a great french suit for only 49 euros which is like 65 dollars probably. I was stylin for dinner that night and now own a suit from France.

Paris Sport

The sports aspect of Paris was also pretty good. We went to see Paris Saint Germain vs. Saint Etiene soccer match. The atmosphere was really good with the fans doing chants throughout. Paris Saint Germain won 2-0 and scored on a penalty kick. Who would have thought we would see a PK in both games we went to. The only downside to this game was everybody around us smoked nonstop so we probably all got the black lung.

Allez Paris-Saint-Germain !

We went to INSEP which is the home of the French Olympic training facilities. A couple of cool things happened here. We got to have lunch with a ton of Olympians. Being in the room with so many possible medalists was exciting for me. Here are the elite athletes of France and me all together. It would be like having lunch with the USA Basketball team, Michael Phelps and Justin Gatlin for example. The other cool thing was they loaned us a field for us to play our own soccer game. Not to brag but my team won 3-1. They must have known my soccer prowess as they put me at right back. I played lockdown D to help shutdown the opponents fastbreak attack on numerous occasions. Best thing was I did not pull a hamstring. The final sport activity for us was a rugby game between Paris Rugby and Racing Metro. We received a lecture from Paris Rugby the day before and they gave us flags to wave. I enjoyed watching rugby and experiencing a new sport. The greatest thing was they had a remote control car to take the tee out for kicks.

Wrap Up

This blog is probably way too long but I had such a great trip and wanted to share my experience to the five followers I have. Although there is a new stats feature with my blog and it turns out I have had over 1,000 views, including people from India, China and Russia. In fact I have quite the following in Russia. By the way Rocky > Ivan Drago. For the people in India, ignore that we eat mostly beef in rural Colorado. Now that my blog is worldwide I am glad I can write about worldly experiences.