Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Derrek's LiveJournal:

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Wednesday, January 4th, 2006
12:22 am	Szczesliwego Nowego Roku New Year’s Eve I still had a girlfriend, though it was touch and go there for awhile. After meeting American Tom on the tram, we started at Marcus’s apartment, which is right in the Rynek. I had a good time, though the party itself was a bit lacking in that not many people were there and Marcus seems to have an allergy to letting a song play all the way through. Since it was a small group, we all crashed another party, but only for about 10 minutes. Why? I’m still not sure. Then it was to G, where we had a table reserved for after midnight, but we were able to sit down a few minutes before. Dabrowka and I went into Solny square for the countdown and then back to the bar. After about an hour we went back to the apartment, chased out in part by the lousy music, and also because we still had a lot of alcohol at the pad that we already paid for. At about 4 we were able to catch the last bus home after partaking in a particularly salty kebab. On the bus home, Tom showed us that he was not joking earlier when he mentioned that he was wearing a thong. Believe me, that has replaced the whale in my nightmares. Dabrowka’s friend Maja scored tickets to Carmen and invited us along, so New Year’s Day I went to my first opera. Therefore, I found myself wearing a suit two days in a row. Crazy. The show was okay, and I recognized a few of the songs, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. We split after the third act and hit Pizza Bravo for a little dinner. The night ended with Big Andy and I hitting the pub for a few. Vacations are nice! I normally don’t make any resolutions, but this year I decided to be even more awesome. Well, that and I want to make a better effort at finding quality Polish rock bands. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 3rd, 2006
2:30 pm	Wesolych Swiat Tomorrow my vacation comes to an end and finally I am sober enough to add a little something to this long-fallow journal. The holidays were a little rougher on me this year. Nothing terrible, but it was there. Last year my mom was coming to visit the day after Christmas (and surprised me by bringing both of my sisters and one of my nieces) so I had that to look forward to. This year I was a little more homesick and it didn’t help that things have been pretty rocky between Dabrowka and I. While the approach had its ups and downs, the actual holidays were great. Christmas Eve was spent at Dabrowka’s place with her family, and the newest ex-pat, Big Andy. While it was traditional in the sense that they didn’t serve meat, it was non-traditional in that we all got loaded. A lot of Poles don’t drink on Christmas Eve; however, we put the bottle of gin that I got and the bottle of Zubrowka that Andy got to good use. Andy and I didn’t leave until around 3:30 am. Kalina was also there, so I don’t think we overstayed our welcome. I don’t think. Christmas day was spent at Andy’s place along with Christian, while Dabrowka went to visit her grandmother. After a great chicken dinner and a few episodes of The League of Gentlemen, we made our way to Guinness and Pani Basia (the owner) even bought us a drink. Getting free drinks doesn’t happen very often, but when they do offer you one, they expect you to step it up a bit and not just get your normal drink. Unfortunately, another argument between D and I was started on this night. I missed the family rituals and the food from back home, though I did make my mom’s stuffed mushroom caps and deviled eggs to much acclaim. No Bloody Maries Christmas morning, though. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, August 9th, 2005
11:54 pm	A Day Late (And 827 Zloty Short) I wanted to post something up yesterday because that marked one year that I moved to Poland, along with being a week back from my trip to the States. Then I decided to go out for "a beer or two" which turned into "five or six and a Mad Dog shot" and there went that idea. So, a year in Poland. I was only going to spend the one year here, but I've known pretty much since December that I was going to stay longer. Things with Dabrowka are far too good and, as I may have mentioned before, if I learned nothing else in 2004, it is that women really hate it when you move away from them. Life is good here. While I miss a lot of people back home, I really like what I have going on in Wroclaw. The trip home was fun, but the way back was a complete disaster. Due to a severe brain cramp, I tossed my tickets thinking they were the reciepts from the trip over and that I was picking up new tickets in JAX. Nope. $265 later (which translates into the 827 zl from the title) and about two hours where I was convinced that I was not getting on the plane to Warsaw, I made it to Poland. Dabrowka and Kalina picked me up from the airport, and after recovering from the trip the first day, the next 5 were spent having the bender I promised to Japhy if he would have come over. Tuesday started with lunch and ended with sitting in Guinness for god knows how long and drinking an estimated 8 beers. It was a fine return to the city. The strangest night was Saturday, when Dabrowka and I did get out until 1 am. At Manana, some Polish guy started talking to me in the bathroom, wanted to talk more and bought me a beer. He told Dabrowka it was because he missed family that he has in Canada. It doesn't make sense to me either. In Neibo, two French guys took my picture because they said that I looked exactly like a friend of theirs. (Why do I feel that my image is now on some dirty French porn site?) Also, a sweater that was stolen three weeks prior was somehow returned to Dabrowka. The evening ended with an unnamed girl kissing another unnamed girl at 7 am for my benefit. That was pretty much the first week back. Tomorrow I get to do my residence paperwork stuff. Yay! Polish beaucrats! (Comment on this)
Monday, June 27th, 2005
11:26 am	Overheard Friday Night Big Andy: You don't need much to live, do you. Simon: That depends on how much you drink. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, June 20th, 2005
12:20 am	Well, it's true So, the birthday wasn't quite as crazy as I had hoped, but it was still fun. An exchange with me and the lady friend during the festivities: She: Did Anna email you? Me: Who? She: Your ex-girlfriend, Anna. Me: Oh, that Anna. No. I don't think so. She: What about Anita. Me: Not that I am aware of. She: Why not? Me: Because they're mean bitches. (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, June 17th, 2005
4:03 am	You know you want to For the last 4 hours and 3 minutes, it has been my birthday. Now, if I was still in Florida, I would have to wait for nearly two more hours before I could have posted that it was The Day of Days (I'm a complete birthday whore, so please forgive me). Since I am in Poland, you may start leaving me greetings and well wishes as of now. (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, June 15th, 2005
10:12 am	Free time Yesterday was my last day of classes. Today I help proctor and grade the B2E written exam. Then I don't work again until Monday. I work every day next week for a few hours a day doing the oral exams. After that, it's all about the 3 month vacation. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, June 14th, 2005
12:28 pm	Free stuff While at Omega, those of us in the Editing Department were treated with cookies every year on our birthday. These were home baked by colleague, '80s metal rock star wannabe and all-around cool guy Erik Schmidt's wife, Jen (AKA the Lovely and Talented Mrs. Schmidt). Despite being on a different continent, my cookies arrived in the mail today (mmm...oatmeal butterscotch chip). Jen rocks. (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, May 16th, 2005
12:32 am	I don't seem to be very good at this I am quite the slacker in the journal department. Sure, I'll mention things like I am going on a trip to the Baltic Sea, but do I follow up with anything about my trip? It would appear not. What's that all about? I should set about fixing that situation here soon. What have I been doing? Reading this site: http://www.rocksnobs.com/. Well, for the last two days, anyway. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, April 29th, 2005
9:53 pm	Not a record or anything, but... So, Dabrowka and I have made it 6 months and that is very cool. We are taking advantage of the long weekend and are headed to Gdynia (and maybe Gdansk and Sobot while we are at it), over by the Baltic Sea. I know what you are thinking - hotel sex! Which is funny, because that's what I am thinking about, too. Christian and Justyna will be joining us on the trip. But not for the hotel sex. Wish me luck on the 8-hour train ride. And really, stop thinking about train sex. Pervert. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, April 28th, 2005
11:32 pm	David Coverversion I saw this in an interview with Greg Dulli, of the Afghan Whigs and Twilight Singers fame, and it reminded me of the thread that et_blackbird started on cover songs about a week ago: TMO: Where does an album of cover versions fit in a culture that values authenticity over interpretation? GD: "If you think about interpretation – without interpretation we don’t get Miles Davis, we don’t get Sam Cooke, we don’t get Patsy Cline, we don’t get Billie Holiday, we don’t get Duke Ellington. So if people are going to only validate writers, well, that’s their loss. My view of music is a bit more three dimensional." If you want to read the rest of it, here's the link: http://www.threemonkeysonline.com/threemon_printable.php?id=229. And then I remembered this bit from a Tom Waits interview with the Onion's A.V. Club: O: Do you have a favorite cover version of one of your songs? TW: Johnny Cash did a song called "Down There By The Train," Solomon Burke did one. But, you know, cover versions are good. I used to bark about it, and then I said, "Oh, it's good." If you write songs, you really do kind of want someone to hear it and say, "Hey, man, I could do that." So if they're not doing your songs, you wonder, "Why aren't they doing my songs?" If it's too individual, too personal, then it can't be re-imagined. Here's the rest of that one: http://www.theonionavclub.com/feature/index.php?issue=3820&f=1. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Saturday, April 2nd, 2005
11:30 pm	Follow up She said it was a joke. I'm not quite sure that I buy that, but that's what she said. (Comment on this)
Friday, April 1st, 2005
6:28 pm	TROUT (Incomplete) As it is April 1st, I was going to recount the joke I played last year (with big help from both of my sisters: Tara as my accomplice and Erin who took the bait far quicker than we could have hoped) and go over some of the things that were going on around that time. But then I got this email from Dabrowka: "I know that you are quiet very often, but like that??? I think it's a bad sign for our future." And suddenly I'm not in the mood. A joke, maybe? (Comment on this)
Thursday, March 10th, 2005
3:00 pm	My friends and family will be relieved to know this Me: "You look really different in a lot of your pictures. Remember when you showed me the picture of your graduation, the one of you on a bike and the one at the Sylwester party? I wouldn't have guessed that any of them were you." She: "Oh. I have an easy answer for that." Me: "Yes?" She: "I'm psycho." (Comment on this)
Wednesday, March 9th, 2005
12:21 pm	Chatting with my sister (family joke included) taracarriveau: There was something I was suppose to let you know. taracarriveau: The family has changed their position on something regarding you. Derrek says: Okay. taracarriveau: We used to say that we didn't want you to meet "The One" while you were in Poland because you might not come home. taracarriveau: Now we have decided that you need to get married there. Derrek says: Why? taracarriveau: So you can officially use the name "Carrivuski" Derrek says: Ah, yes. Of course. taracarriveau: Mind you, there was alcohol involved in this discussion. Derrek says: Well, duh. taracarriveau: Are you working at all today. Derrek says: Yeah, I have two classes today. taracarriveau: Are they good classes? Derrek says: The first one I've only had once and think they are going to tax me. The second is okay, and Dabrowka has been showing up for it every week. taracarriveau: Aww, isn't that cute. Does she write "I love you" on her eyelids? Derrek says: No, but damn it - she should. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 8th, 2005
1:02 am	Not. Fair. Since I've quit smoking (4 weeks ago today), I have noticed an increase in my hangovers. That doesn't make any sense. I am putting fewer toxins in my body and yet my head rebels against me? What the hell is that all about? In other (purposefully vague) news: Friday night, something was said to me that has me worried. Hopefully, I will get this all figured out and never have to speak of it again. (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, March 3rd, 2005
11:42 pm	I was half right Before coming to Poland, in an attempt to assuage my father's fears that I would never come back, I explained to him that I like American food and American music too much to stay in Europe for too long. And while there are things about the American Dining Experience that I miss (mainly free refills), they wouldn't be enough to drive me back home. Music, on the other hand, is a different story. For the last 4 years or so, it hasn't unusual for me to bring home 3 to 10 CDs a week. Now, I've bought 2 CDs in the last 7 months. I know that there are other ways to get the music that I can't find or afford here (and I have taken advantage), but I really miss Vinyl Fever. I miss the process. Going through the used racks and then the budget bin. Seeing what was on sale. Trying to get promos from Carl or Kelly while discussing what they have been listening to. Playing through the stuff on the listening station. Getting that combination of what I came in for and what I just found out about. It's not that I don't have that here as it is I can't have that here. Fortunately, I am pretty damn happy with the other aspects of my life so it doesn't get to me that much. But I still check Ice Magazine every Tuesday to find out what is being released. Some weeks, like last week when these were among the CDs being put out: Crooked Fingers - Dignity and Shame, General Patton vs the X-ecutioners, Idiot Prayer (ex-Kyuss bassist Vic du Monte) - Prey for the City, Iron and Wine - Woman King EP, Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak and Josh Rouse - Nashville, are harder to ignore than the others. Since it is looking like I will be here for another couple of years, I am hoping to find a way to sate my music jones. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, February 28th, 2005
9:42 pm	Simple, simple creatures Dabrowka's friend: "Do you think that Derrek is thinking right now that he wishes he spoke Polish so he could participate in the conversation?" Dabrowka: "No. I'm pretty sure that he is thinking about sex or beer right now." (9 Comments |Comment on this)
1:20 am	Friday night... ...after finding Christian in the liquor bar at Celtic. "What's going on in here?" "I'm looking at those girls on the other side of the bar. I notice that they have The Ugly Friend." "Yep." "There's always an Ugly Friend, isn't there." "Usually, yes." "I'm The Ugly Friend, aren't I?" "Oh, yeah." "Why didn't anyone tell me?" "We all just assumed that you knew." (13 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, February 25th, 2005
6:28 pm	Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce you to... It is problematic to name breasts when you haven't been properly introduced to them (or to the person they belong to for that matter). Sure, any hack could go with the Heather as Geek Girl thing, slap down a Frodo and Sam (or an old school Mork and Mindy) and be done with it. I, however, am a professional. Also, I remembered her wanting to get away from Geek Girl and into The Goddess. So, maybe Apollonia and Vanity? Okay, they weren't goddesses but rather Prince protogees. Caesar and Cleopatra? No, we still have to keep in mind that there is a possibility that katuluu has seen them. Maybe instead of names, we could go with places. Hollywood and Vine? Na, our sole_confusion is too mid-western for that. Bosnia and Herzegovina? Umm, never mind that one. Okay, how about taking the English Major route. Strunk and White? I think we'll leave that right there. And then it came to me, as if visited by the heavens. The perfect names. The ones that her breasts were meant to carry for all time. (Here's to hoping that you never date anyone who wants to name them himself, because they will already be named). Just for you, Heather. Please welcome: The Falcon and The Snowman. You're welcome. (8 Comments |Comment on this)