Today was one of slavery. And through it, I realized that I technically did NOT break my 100 day blogging run, as I did, in fact, write a blog! Just not here!
but here.
And here.
Look, I'm not saying it's Pullitzer material here, but it is the first time I've been paid to write. For this, we'll accept that I have some stage fright. The writing is a bit wooden. The subjects a bit silly, but I believe this is what the chipper people of NG are wanting. I believe it now, but I imagine it won't be long before I find my own curvilinear way to write exactly the way I prefer and I think they'll prefer it too.
I HAVE to do this, because someone has to be out there counterbalancing bullshit like this:
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2010-06-16-greece-tourism_N.htm which had a former potential client writing into me and demanding my comment. I was feeling a smidge snarky and wanted to write back something back to the effect of, NO DUH.
I didn't write that. I just said I wanted to. I don't think he'll be using us anyway. He's over on the frugal side, my camp, so I can't exactly blame him and probably Im getting my just desserts for all of the times I thought I could do a better job exploring a city blind, dumb, and completely ignorant.
Anyhoo, I did something nice for myself after 12 hours of reading, editing, posting, deleting, and re reading again, playing with my new toys and my new position. I slammed my laptop closed, walked partway with Despina who had just closed the restaurant, passed the cafes, shops and tavernas stuffed with people all crowded around TV screens, letting out CHEER in solidarity, for once, for football, the national religion...said a little see ya to Despina, waited for the bus, which didn't arrive, and didn't arrive, and didn't arrive, so finally I walked halfway home and tried a new station, Yay! It came. Someone had the game on a radio... got out, ran up the stairs and changed into my swimming suit. Grabbed Attikoulamou and headed for the rocks of Flisvos Park.
Well to be honest, and because she's reading this, I was supposed to meet Despina and the fam at a beach called Allimou, which turned out to be Kalimaki not that I knew it at the time. And somehow in the interim I lost my VOODOO QUEEN Tshirt. I'm a little sad about it. It was definitely the coolest t shirt I ever had, so I'll give it a moment of silence but then I'm over it.
The sun was almost gone completely so that the water was pitch black. The only people that swim in my spot are real pros, the kind with alien swimcaps and the 70 year olds who swim even through the winter. They put me to shame with their swinging arms and tiny splashes. I've never mastered how to turn my head to breathe. Sometimes I got it backwards and sucked in seawater. So I stick to my frog swim maneuver and it works well for me. When I'm really enjoying myself I pretend I'm a dolphin.
After my swim I made a second attempt at connecting with Depina, Kostas and the kiddoes who were, as I mentioned, at Kalimaki beach, too far a stretch for me.
Get on the tram! Despina commanded.
But my bicycle..
Take your bicycle!
And that was a first for me! You should have seen the looks I got, dripping wet, pasty pale white girl standing in the tram with her bicycle. Maybe you didn't know it but the Greek girls are very good at taking care of themselves. I think there's something in my ways that disturbs them. My nails aren't painted, my shorts look like boys... they just seem uncomfortable, like maybe they have an urge to throw me into a good pair of kitten heels.
By the time I arrived to the right beach the sickle moon was bright and we had the rarity of stars. Five of them. If I told you how many people were there, even in the water, at 1000 in the evening...
We sat there on the pebble beach, staring at the moon and eating green apples. What a moron. I was still composing NG possibilities in my mind.
PS I'm not on my computer. That's my excuse for all of the weird typographical stuff like skipping apostrophes. I'm too zonked to figure it out, so deal.
Goodnight.
