Please read this rather epic story on Consumerist about Continental Airlines Flight 1970 (but not while you’re eating). The Dana featured in the story was one of my travel companions to Amsterdam. And, man, am I glad I left a couple of days before her.* Dana’s own, much longer version of the story can be found at her website.

*My flights were on British Airways and extremely uneventful. BTW, Heathrow: your security policies are especially ass-backwards. You make Toronto Pearson look classy.

reading:

• Jacqueline Winspear’s series of books about the eponymous character Maisie Dobbs. 1 starts slow, but picks up enough for me to have read 2. 2 was really good. 3 was really good. I am in the middle of 4, and I am sort of ceasing to care; it needs to pick up.
• Jezebel’s budding collection of “crap email from a dude” is so fucking epic. I look forward to the inevitable gentlemen’s response.

moving pictures:

• Paris, je t’aime was [largely] lovely. What the hell was up with the Christopher Doyle segment (the one with Barbet Schroeder, Asian stereotyping and a dance sequence)? My favorite segments were Isabel Coixet’s, Gurinder Chadha’s and Alexander Payne’s.
• Knocked Up was entertaining. I could have used more scenes like the one in which Katherine Heigl watches Carrie, because she went from mostly nauseated to so in love really speedily and nonsensically.
• Pirates 3. Is it safe to open my eyes yet?

sport:

• Ana Ivanovic is rad. She is my new Kim.

tv:

• Steven Moffat, my heart could not love you more. Mr. Moffat and I have been close (I’m sure he had no idea) since Press Gang. He wrote the two best Doctor Who episodes, season 2’s “The Girl in the Fireplace” and the recent “Blink” — which: the hype is real — and I just watched the premiere of Jekyll and holy crap that was good.
• Speaking of Doctor Who. Derek Jacobi! John Simm! John Barrowman not being neutered!
• I have now seen the first two episodes of Friday Night Lights. I’m on board.
• And I watched the first episode of Freaks and Geeks. I know. I don’t remember why I didn’t watch it years ago, something came up. Whatever, I like it now.

moving:

• I move on July 29th. I should pack.

After returning home from Amsterdam, I weigh eight pounds less than I did when I got there. That is what illness and asparagus begets.

While not starving myself, I went to the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh museum, and the Anne Frank Huis, all of which I enjoyed. The Anne Frank Huis was particularly interesting, but actually because of the architecture. I really liked the modern renovations to the old building. The juxtaposition of the styles was really cool. I bought a book about the museum and house itself, but I haven’t had a chance to read it yet.

Photos are on Flickr. There are more of them up there if I know you; this is me. I have a lot of stories from the trip, but I sort of haven’t been sharing them. Sometimes things are more enjoyable when they’re quiet.

I’m using the Internet via a bookstore in Koblenz, Germany.  I have access through my phone, but it’s international roaming, and I’m paying out the ass for it.  So, basically, I am looking at text only sites and not reading past email headers.

This keyboard is very German, and I cannot stand to use it any longer.  Therefore, I present the lowlight of my trip so far.  Asparagus Nacht: a night that will live in infamy.  An entire (what?  seven course?) dinner based entirely on asparagus.  Asparagus mousse.  Asparagus foam soup.  Asparagus with one inch of salmon.  And no, I do not eat asparagus.  We intend to commemorate Asparagus Nacht annually on June 5th.  Mark your calendars.