Big Sweet Tooth

*G* is for Gili's (Islands in Indonesia)

G is for Gili Islands

Just off the coast of Lombok, Indonesia (and Bali) is a small patch of islands.  They're referred to as the Gili's and people come from around the world to learn to dive at one of the PADI dive centers on the island.  The water surrounding Gili Trawangan in soft baby blue and you can see Mt. Rinjani (a volcano on Lombok) in the distance.  It's a lovely bunch of islands--rustic and hip all at the same time.  It's also about a trillion degrees every single day.

Really, I was sorta blow away by just how tiny Trawangan was.  You could walk around the entire island in no time and there were just a smattering of dirt roads and paths throughout.  The heat was absolutely ungodly and I'd originally gone there to learn to dive but once I got a taste of the stillness and the blistering heat, I decided the only thing for me to do was skip learning to dive and just have some good old drinks on the beach instead.  I just couldn't bear the idea of digging thru the SCUBA book and actually trying to learn something when I was more in need of pure relaxation.  (I am going to re-approach the diving again once I hit Honduras in a few months).  I mean, the heat in the Gili's was enough to just melt you down into a full coma the second you stepped outside.  I couldn't fathom tossing on some dive gear and lugging tanks all over the place.  No thanks..one more rum drink, please!

It was pretty wild because some of the folks I met on Gili had never been off the island--not even to Lombok.  I guess when you live in paradise, why leave?  I will say, this island easily had some of the best snorkeling I've ever encountered (all you need are a bikini and snorkel gear for that treat) and once again, I grew even more addicted to my all time favorite Indo dish--nasi campur.  Plus, the smiles that the locals sport are big enough and genuine enough to move mountains.  And, they have nothing.  Nada. 

Monkey Forest Road, Ubud, Bali

The real Monkey Forest  just off Monkey Forest Road in Ubud, Bali is indeed dotted with critter picking monkeys (along with sacred temples and secret trails).  When I was in Bali a few years back, I avoided the dark confines of this forest skirting town, but this past time, I had to walk through it to get to and from my little hotel, Villa Sonia.  Every morning, I would skirt through the shady paths in the forest and I'm not kidding when I say---there were hundreds of monkeys running wild.  They were flipping and swinging--all curious about who this giant white woman was skipping through the forest at the crack of dawn. I was enamored with their mode of cleaning and more often than not, I'd see a few of them rapt with pleasure digging deep on their pals/families back.  Wish I had someone to do that for me--what a treat~

Padang Bai Harbor, Bali

If you ever wonder what the tiny port village of Padang Bai looks like, well you're looking at it!  Wish I could tell you that it was just this cute, but once you get past the funky cafes and traditional warungs, it can get a little sketch.  Only because the very busy harbor is located there, with ferries ripping in and out at all hours (a ferry for Lombok leaves every hour on the hour).  This port is so hellishly hectic if you don't know where you're going and it's easy to get dominated by eager faces offering to haul your bags for a dollar or so.  And, don't get me going on the women who literally attack you with bottled waters, fruit sacks, and noodle-to-go containers.  It is best to buy snacks from them , because one you get started on the 5 hour ride to Lombok, the pickings are slim. 

A one-way fery ticket to Lombok is $2.50--don't let anyone try to sell you otherwise.  And pay no heed to the fact that Lombok is Muslim (Bali is Hindu).  All the vendors will try to freak you about that fact, but once you get to Benoa Harbor on Lombok, you can catch a ride to anywhere no problem.   No matter where you roll in Indo, the smiles are genuine and the prices are cheap.

There is also a very efficient fast boat (Gili Cat) that rockets you out to the Gili Islands for about $60 bones.  It takes just under 2 hours and for my money, I'd say most definitely worth it.  The small office is located right across from the sandy beach--and far away from the hawkers swarming the ferries.

Garbage Never Looked So Pretty...

Trolling up and down the narrow streets of Ubud are the most vibrant garbage trucks you've ever seen.  They're small and compact so they can squeeze through the narrow village pathways in Ubud, and I couldn't help but stop and stare at them for a good long spell.  Not only was their yellow base painted with a bright green jungle flower landscape, they didn't even smell bad.  Not even a whiff, which was pretty incredible.  I credit that to all the flowers and offerings they have to pick up daily from the the door stoop of every local Hindu household and establishment.  Could you imagine something like this shooting through the gritty streets of Chicago.  It would take city trash to a whole new--much better--level.

I Want This Motorbike~

Ancient as it is, this is the exact motorbike I would love to get my hands on.  Next time I am in Indo, I'm going to buy one.  I'll just leave it there with a friend so that every time I come back to paradise, I have a little ride waiting on me!  I guess I just like collecting treasures around the world. 

In other news, I did purchase a really cool electric bike (its at home in Chi) that I have failed to put together yet.  Not sure what my plans are with that thing, but it will come...it will come...

The Ubud Market Shakes Down Every Single Day...

Anywhere I travel, the very first place I want to hit up is the local market.  You can learn so much about a community through the eyes of the vendors.  Are they happy, sad, destitute, inquisitive, hawkers?   The morning market in Ubud is one of the best markets on Bali and doles out everything from my favorite rice dish, nasi campur, to raw fish, fresh meat, organic veggies, hot peppers you never knew existed, incense, souvenirs, and exotic fruit.  Most vendors have their goods neatly showcased on the ground and the smell rocketing around the open air structure is heavenly--tropical flowers mixed with sweet grilling meat.  The same three smiling women are perched in this primo spot just off Monkey Forest Road every day and they're slinging out nasi campur to the adoring line that is always visible.  I've had nasi there from 30 cents all the way up to 70 cents.  The best time to visit this gem is before sunup when the roosters are still greeting the morning sky.

The View From My Room at Lotus Bungalows in Candidasa...

I wouldn't really call the reason I keep posting about Indonesia an obsession on my part...just a healthy longing for the simple life.  It seems I keep getting overwhelmed by stray receipts, never-ending to do lists, freezing weather and my own mile-a-minute mind.  I crave the moment that I set foot back on peaceful Indo soil and taste a sip of tangy ginger juice.  Not sure exactly when that will be, but I since I can feel the warmth of Mexico on the horizon, she can step in for a spell.  I've got a raging love affair going with her too.

Chicago v. Indo, hmmmmm.....

The day I left Lombok, this is what I saw from the back of a moped.
and
The day I left Chicago, this is what I saw from where my truck was parked.
You do the math.  Something's not adding up, eh?

Sugar, Sugar, Sugar and Oh Yeah, More Sugar...

Every morning outside the school I was volunteering at in Sembalun, Lombok there would stand this charming fella selling his wares.  Try to guess what was in his funky tin belt/walking bazaar?  Little bitty pinches of sugar!  It came in the form of toasted & shredded sugarcane and it went for about a penny or so.  All the school kids would pop by on their way in the front gates and buy a tiny bite (if they had a penny, that is) and once they sucked all the sweetness out of their pinch, they would just be wired and happy to start the long, arduous day of learning.  I thought this was a brilliant execution of entrepreneurship and it just solidifies my belief that sugar really does make the world go round~~
Side note:  I would love to give up sugar this year.  Love to.  Of course, this being murmured as I smell a big fat chocolate cake baking downstairs that I literally roused my mom from a deep, dark sleep to make. 

Candidasa, Bali and Fried Food

There is a sweet man in tropical Candidasa, Bali that makes the best fried items I have ever tasted.  Fried tofu stuffed with crisp little bean sprouts and veggies; fried tempeh; fried bananas; fried pancakes sprinkled with bits of colored sugar.  He pops out for just a few hours every night and the locals line up to get the first of the hot goodies straight out of whatever magic oil/batter mix he is using.  I met him last year when I was in Bali and I was REALLY obsessed this past time around...wondering if he'd made it thru the New Year.  You never know who has shut down and who has prospered in times like these.  Ahhh, but there he was and no matter what you order, he's always tossing in a few extra for good measure.  For less than a buck, I'd roll back to my bungalow on the beach with a greased over baggie full of piping hot, all vegetarian belly busters.  I didn't care though, the flavor was EPIC and he was pleased as punch every day when my eager face showed up..I could tell he was blown away that I really considered his goods to be THE BEST THING I EVER TASTED...as I would proclaim to him nightly after a few icy cold Bintang's at Ari Homestay.  I really meant it though, I promise!  Some would akin my wild photo snaps from various positions surrounding his cart to stalking~~

Sunsets: It's the Simple Things...

I'd say the most magical sunset I've ever witnessed was a random purple pink rainbow of a sundowner in J'berg, Africa (could have been the company I was with that enhanced that breathtaker). 

But, the most special sunset I've laid into is from a super-cute hotel called Lotus Bungalows on Bali.  Every night the sun would slowly poke its way through the sky until the whole vista was awash in bright pinks.   I usually partook in this majestic event from the confines of their perfectly temperate infinity pool...and the whole nightly ritual was like heaven on earth.  A nice nutmeg-tinged cuba libre in hand, a sky blistered with swathes of cotton candy and very few other guests made Lotus my home away from home in Candidasa.    Plus, they just opened up a great dive center there that is a primo place to learn to dive if you are interested in the wide world of SCUBA.

Soon, I shall be in Central America preying upon even bigger sunsets from the tail of my trailer.  Life is good~

It's a Whole New Year...

"Miss Misty, when will you be back to Sembalun?"  This is the question that I heard over and over from my students whilst teaching in this tiny farming village on the island of Lombok (by the way, as I write this a curious ladybug is traipsing my computer screen).  As I assimilate my way back in to the overwhelming American way of life, I find myself thinking--"Honey, it may be sooner than you think."  I stood in Home Depot today confused as shit, lost as ever, and utterly swamped with a myriad of choices. It was too much.  There is something to be had for having nothing...for needing not a thing.  There is less to worry about, less to repair, less to obsess on, less to tweak, just less in general.  When you travel, it's so easy to think--Wow!  To be so poor and have nothing.  I think my train of thought might now be--to have so little and be so rich.  That is the sentiment I'm thinking hard on as the end of the year approaches.  Riddle me this one--I was in Indo for a month and I had with me just 1 small solar backpack full of books, a moleskin journal, a few changes of clothes, a pair of flip-flops (no!  not slippers) and an Ipod.  How is it that I've never been so content and smiling and happy and giving and hopeful.  Merry Xmas and may you enter 2008 with much less and be much more grateful for it~

Candidasa, Bali & A MST Perfect Day

Wanna talk about a perfect day in Indo?  I was leaving Lombok after a heart-busting volunteering stint and on the ferry ride back to Bali, I caught some shots of some frisky dolphins.  They were swarming the boat and flipping all over the place...it was classic.  Then, I rolled into my fave hotel on the beach in Candidada, Lotus Bungalow, where me and a pal managed to kill a full bottle of nutmeg tinged Jamaica rum (the local brew).  After getting all sauced up while the rain came down in buckets, I went swimming in the infinity pool and then ran to my outdoor shower so I could feel the hot spray of the shower cleanse my skin WHILE the cold rain poured in on top of that (just magic thru and thru)...once the rain let up, we hit the road and meandered down to our friends homestay---a cute little place that runs for about $10 per night called Ari's Homestay.  They have the coldest beer in all of Candidasa---which is why after a decade of not drinking a single beer that I managed to slam 3 in no time flat.  Some of the young gals who work there had a bit of their artwork on display, so of course a few pieces had to be purchased (to their sheer delight!). We hit the road soon after quaffing a 6 pack and shooting the shizz with Tia (it's her and Gary's place) about what it means for an American woman to marry a Balinese man---on the slow saunter back to Lotus, we stopped by my little tempeh guy...he slings out the best fried tempeh, stuffed tofu and wrapped bananas I have ever tasted, but he's only there for a meager 4 hours a night, so you gotta catch him quick before he sells out.  A bag full of his goodies is less than 50 cents!  That type of day is a PERFECT MST DAY....in case you are ever wondering how I like to kill an afternoon.

Vincent's in Candidasa, Bali--hands down the best in town...

If you spend any sort of time in the tiny fishing village of Candidasa, Bali, the restaurant that you'll hear most folks waxing poetic about is the expat haven and real date atmosphere joint called Vincent's.  Everyone in the loop in this gorgeous village knows that Vincent's has the best food around for miles---hell, he even had avocado jus when not a single other establishment in town could get their hands on an out-of-season avocado.  I tend to prefer the dingy roadside dives but every now and then a gal needs to test out the towns champ.  Rice chips, super fresh salad (Vincent's salad with everything in it), mixed fish cakes (dubbed fish cookies) and handcut french fries were on the docket the day I went, along with an ice-cold cuba libre.  I was so full from my truly superior meal that by the time lunch wrapped up, there was no way I could comprehend sticking around for the nightly jazz session...though I'm sure it's lovely.  If you EVER get the chance to try an avocado jus, PLEASE make it a priority...you will never regret it~
Here is a small sampling of Vincent's menu....and everything on it is just-caught fresh and still cheaper than Mickey D's.  Go figure.

Fish Houses in Bali Make Me So Happy.

At the very end of the above posts arak fueled journey, we stopped at a local fish house just outside of Candidasa.  It was most definitely a locals hangout and before I could even find the outdoor squat toilet, a slew of rice, long beans, sambals, soups, and chilled bintang's had been shuffled over to our table.  You see, all you have to do at this little joint is come in and sit down...no ordering necessary since all they serve is fish in various forms:  ground up, wrapped around sugarcane and grilled or perhaps rolled into a tasty little ball and cooked in broth.  So simple and exactly my kind of place.  Each persons bounty was about $2 (tip included).  The name?  Ahhhh, that arak is a killer...NO CLUE!  But, I know I'll be able to find it again on my next trip back to Bali...just look for the crowded open air restaurant on the west side of the main road just outside of Candidasa...Good luck!  That is the killer about Bali...everything is insanely delicious and entire meals are cheaper than a can of Red Bull.  Throw in beautiful locals, gorgeous beaches, delicious fruit drinks, nature galore and exotic traditions--I mean, how could you not love the place?

Ubud, Bali and Villa Sonia---Go Now!

Ubud, a tiny mountain oasis on the island of Bali, is one of my favorite villages in all the world.  It's an old-school mix of  ancient culture, artist retreat, nature haven and foodie paradise.  Last year, I did a mesh of Warjihouse and Uma but this time around, I stayed at my pal's place--Villa Sonia.  This small (and very serene) gem is the perfect hideaway, tucked just behind Monkey Forest.  The staff was friendly, the ice was always on standby and because of the slow season, it was usually empty...all of which made it VERY difficult to leave.  I loved waking up in a plush bed to the sound of children laughing (from a nearby school) and roosters crowing (from the entire ISLAND) and slowly making my way down to the pool for a little AM swim. Breakfast is included in the already cheap-o price and there's a gal on site who gave me a massage so deep and intense, I passed out for 6 hours afterward.  Slow, sultry, monkey filled days in Ubud are what it's all about, especially after a coconut killer or two from Casa Luna!

Arak is as Arak Does

In all my Indo rambles as of late, I've not even touched on the glory that is Bali.  To me, this bustling island is sheer and utter paradise and this marked my 2nd trip there in just under 18 months.  This is a place I could imagine spending long swirls of time....especially when you factor in a potent little elixir called arak.  This maddening drink contrived from coconut palm flower is found all over the islands (the locals LOVE it) and can turn a simple peace filled morning into a balls out party within a few sips.  I had my first taste (on this past trip) whilst on a trip from Ubud to Candidasa when we stopped at my drivers casa to meet his lovely family.  Somehow a coke bottle full of the fire was conjured up, along with a few piss warm cokes and a bowl of nuts and BAM!  It was out of control before long---kiddies were being played with feverishly; cock-fighting roosters were being gazed at; freshly picked ice was being procured; drinks were being whipped up; photos were being snapped; and barefoot tours were being given.  Like every other moment in Indo, the parallel universe that is I'm-so
lucky-I-could-die travel was hit upon time and time again in that one afternoon.  I especially adore the plastic bag as a cup idea.  Profoundly clever.

Remote Waterfalls and Paradise Found on Lombok

One of the highlights of my volunteer trip to Lombok was taking advantage of the downtime.  If I wasn't up at the crack trying to baby summit a mountain, I was attempting to learn to ride a moped (which I loved and almost wiped out on a dozen times) or exploring crashing waterfalls.  There was an amazing one that I got the chance to hit up twice--the name escapes me right this second, but the fun I had there doesn't.  It was about an hour ride on motorbike from Sembalun and located down a dusty dirt road (though on my 2nd visit, some fellas were paving the top part of the road).  Once the bike was tucked away, we'd trample down a winding set of stairs to the stream at the base of the volcano-fed falls and then trek about 15 minutes uphill to the most majestic waterfall shrouded in mini-rainbows.  The fresh water pool was laced in soft slabs of sulfur and we'd smear it all over our bodies time and time again before diving back into the pool (it took all the strength in my legs to back up to the downpour because the force was so strong).  After flitting around in the water (and half drowning a gazillion times) and scrambling up the slippery rocks to get closer to the beast , we'd haul back up the path and subsequent stairs (hello heart attack) just clean as a whistle and ready to tackle another jubilant class of kiddies.  There was always a shirtless sweaty fella there taking long hand-rolled cig breaks from his brutal job of hauling full TREES up those stairs--deforestation the old-school way, I suppose.

Sembalun Bumbung Gets a Taste of English, Too...

Besides teaching at the school in Sembalun Lawang every day, I also took a short ride to the very similar neighboring village of Sembalun Bumbung to teach a class.  The students at this school were just wild with excitement every afternoon when I strolled through the door and you'd not believe how far a set of flash cards can go with kids who really want to learn.  I taught everything:  numbers, months, colors, days of the week, greetings, nature walks exploring everything you could see with the naked eye, body parts (I loved hearing everyone scream BELLYBUTTON at the top of their lungs when I pointed to mine)....but what they loved most was when when they got to pair off and come to the front of the class to practice conversational skills.  Some of them were just so funny (and some were rambunctious hellions--but in a good way) and it was enlightening to actually witness progress.  All they really knew was how to say hello and by the time I left, they were having mini-convo's.  Just brilliant.  Compared to my kids in Sembalun Lawang, these little balls of energy were straight up flirts.  They made me laugh so much (re: wanna tear my hair out) and by the time I'd leave every day, I felt like I'd just been to war.  With random students popping in from other classes (just out of control), everyone fighting for a smidge of attention and intensely competitive games of hangman happening on the chalkboard, it was chaos every single second.  But the oh-so-enriching kind...

Sembalun, Lombok, Indonesia--A Village as Special as it Gets~

If you look deep into that gorge in the photo, you will see the remote village of Sembalun, Lombok, Indonesia.  It's a tiny mountain village rimmed by a massive active volcano and is full of more love than almost any place I've been in the world; it seemed like everyone in the village was related and/or the very best of friends.  I would stand on the front porch at my families house (I lived in a homestay set up by my volunteer program) and do yoga every morning just after the sun rose and all the little kiddies would be walking to school in their adorable uniforms.  There were a least a hundred hello's before I could even get through a set of sun salutations and half of them weren't even my students.  It's such a social community...people would drop by at all hours just to sit for a spell on the porch (I mastered the art of sprawling my body out into the most comfortable horizontal position--be it porch, living room, or picnic bench-- at any given second) and each family lived in a full compound that included houses for aunts, uncles, grannies, sons and daughters.  Imagine that you don't want to bolt a gazillion miles away from home, your family and life as you know it the very instant you graduate from high school??  Well, the kind folk of Sembalun didn't.  Even if they did want to leave the village it was only so they could make more money and bring it back home to the community and their family.  What an intrepid/primitive way of living, don't you think?

The Always Breathtaking Food of Lombok, Indonesia

I have never eaten as well as I did whilst on Lombok (and really, Indo as a whole).  On a daily basis, I easily chowed twice the amount of food I do when I'm at home in Chicago and every single meal centered around rice.  Funny, how I lost weight while sopping up copious amounts of this usually forbidden starch that everyone stateside freaks out about.  Not once did I have meat (most folks are just a little too low on dough to afford this luxury and after I saw a just slaughtered cow on the side of the road covered in flies, well...I doubt I will ever eat meat again), but every delicious vegetable I absorbed was grown in the lush fields of Sembalun.  I couldn't make it through a day of classes without being invited over to someones house for tea and of course, with tea, out pops a snack. There was food everywhere I turned.  You could just meander down a dirt road and cut honey mango or avocado straight off your neighbors tree; I grew to adore jackfruit in all its sweet glory; and I picked sugary organic strawberries straight from the field.  I watched a few folks prepare spicy sambal with the traditional mortar and pestle and there is nothing like dunking a little crackle of rice chip into a bowl of freshly made sambal and topping it with a slice of crisp cucumber.  It was disrespectful to not eat or to shy away from a meal, so for a gal like me, it was a heavenly just entering someones house and witnessing a full spread lovingly being laid out on a batch of colorful plastic mats--no dining room tables here! 

Who Knew a Toothbrush Could Make a Kid So Happy

While I was in Sembalun, I had the honor of teaching a gaggle of kiddies how to brush their teeth and use soap.  I know it seems beyond belief, but these little guys were beyond excited to own their first ever toothbrush, toothpaste and bar of soap.  It was a comedy of sorts to see these adorable babes wield their toothbrush like it was a foreign weapon and lug around this giant bar of soap that they had no idea what to do with.  After I repositioned the toothbrush in each of their tiny fists and we'd filled up each of their bright plastic cups with mountain spring water, we set to brushing away.  They were absolutely delighted and clung to their goods as if someone were going to snatch them from them.  After I scooted back in the classroom, they had all stacked up their cups, thinking they had to return them at the end of class (as they usually do with pencils, crayons, etc...) so when we handed them back out to the kids, they were pleased as punch to own their VERY OWN plastic cup.  Wow.  I guess I loved showing them how to rinse and spit.  Who knew?

Semablun Lawang and the Live-In Lombok Volunteer Program

The village in Indonesia where I just spent a spell volunteering (and living with a local family) in was called Sembalun Lawang.  It was a tiny, very remote village on the Muslim island of Lombok and was situated just at the base of Mt. Rinjani, a stunning active volcano.  Though the entire island was incredibly primitive and painfully poor, never in my life have I met more generous and friendly people.  All of my students were so clever and genuinely eager to learn English, it just blew my mind.  I taught middle school and Jr. high school every day and then come night time, I'd teach an adult class.  Sometimes the power all across the valley would go out and the boys would light candles just so we could keep plugging away at basic conversational phrases.  It was tragic for me to leave and I'm already plotting my return to this special place.  If only people knew these opportunities existed, the world might just be a better place.  These lovely folks had absolutely no money (they were simply trying to make a little dinero to meet their daily needs) and they were the happiest lot I've come across in all my travels.  Everything (and I mean everything)  revolved around family, education, and food.  Ah, the glorious, glorious food of Indonesia.  I cannot believe there are no Indonesia restaurants in Chicago...how is that even possible?

Nasi Campur...the c is pronounced ch

After a trip like the one I just took, it's hard to figure out where to start, so I'm just gonna go back to my roots and being with food.  There is a dish in Indo called nasi campur (mixed rice) that literally took over my entire train of thought.  I woke up thinking about it, I went to bed thinking about it, I dreamed about it and I even found myself whispering "nasi campur" to not a soul--I just wanted to hear the words over and over again.  I had a favorite warung (eating place) in Balinese village of Candidasa that served it (but all of them do) and I developed a little understanding with the always smiling woman who ran the shop (she didn't speak a lick of English).  I'd come in and grab a huge cold water from the freezer (I needed the whole big bottle not only because it was sweltering but because my selections were so spicy) and while I was searching for the coldest vessel, she'd cone off some wax paper and stuff it with nasi (rice) and whatever veggies she'd whipped up that day.  Then, as I stood patiently and giddily by, she'd toss on a fried egg and maybe a little tempeh or tofu and gently fold up my lunch (all this for 40 cents).  I would bound back to my hotel and wolf the whole thing with my fingers (right hand only) while gazing out at the crashing ocean by the infinity pool.  Besides the village and people of Sembalun, the crazy flavor of this simple dish is what I will miss most about Indo.  Say it with me, "nasi campur"...it just feels so right whispering out of my lips.

Livin` Like a Local in Lombok, Indonesia

So sorry that  I have been so off grid for the past month.   I really had no idea that the tiny, very 4th-world village where I was headed in Indonesia (it was on the Muslim island of Lombok just East of Bali) had no phones, no net, no nothing.  Talk about wonderful.  I have no idea what is happening in the world and never have I felt more at peace and content and clean.  The next few weeks are going to be a flurry of updates about my entire volunteer experience in the village of Sembalun Lawang (nestled at the base of majestic Mt. Rinjani) and my explorations of the always magical Bali (I cannot believe that I drank BEER---but I guess I now love Bintang).  This particular trip was epic in a million ways (taught an entire 2nd grade class how to brush their teeth and use soap) and one of those  life/mind altering journeys that very seldom happen unless you are lucky enough to really let down some barriers and crack open a few walls that you didn`t even know you`d built up (sure, I guess I don`t mind taking a river bath and coming out covered in baby leeches).  My mind is twirling with new ideas and directions to take, so be on the lookout...more is on the way...mst