to live is to fly (on an airplane)

Alright, flying off tomorrow and the only thing that's really getting me nervous is that I probably haven't packed what I need for this semester. Taking my guitar with me is a hassle in this respect, but it's something that has to be done. Not much more I can do now. I guess I should at least be thankful the visa went through. Part of me wishes that we would just go straight to Madrid instead of having a week-long orientation trip in the southern coastal town of Nerja. On the other hand it should be fun to get to know the other people on the program in a more relaxed setting.

I finished up a bit of business before this trip today. There are a couple new songs on my myspace music page (see the link on the right) that I recorded this past October with Joe Kille. I had planned to do some more recording this winter, but I didn't get to the point where I felt like any of it was finished properly. The new songs are called "Broken Down Engine" and "Where You Call Home."

I also picked up The Corner by David Simon and Ed Burns. Those two are also the creators of The Wire, which I just finished watching today. I'll write a longer post about both the show and the book once I get done with the book. The show has really deepened my understanding and empathy for what appears to be the most intractable problem in the United States: the urban underclass. Not only does the show have a wonkish appeal in its focus on complicated political and societal problems, but it has a highly dramatic appeal in its wide cast of interesting and moving characters. I don't think I've ever enjoyed watching a TV show (or possibly even a movie) as much as this. Good thing there's still one last season to look forward to (HBO recently renewed the show for its fifth season, which Simon says he had originally conceived as its last).