Get the Marmalade Ready…….

For those not familiar with the metaphor in the subject line, it references a hopeful day. The sun feels a little warmer on your back. The air has a crispness which a day before might not have been noticeable. And your toast, which you normally take extra charred in the midst of Chicago´s winter, has popped up golden brown and worthy of an extra helping of marmalade.

Well friends, Buenos Aires = marmalade.

And since I’ve been here 72 hours, I figure it’s high time to make some sweeping generalizations/observations:

The people here are beautiful. Every tenth person looks like they’re out of an Enrique Iglesias video. 2) People drive like maniacs. On the first day I nearly got run over (twice) when attempting the patented Chicago move: start crossing the intersection as soon as the light begins to turn red. 3) Everything happens late. I mean late. Mid-week dinners take place at 9:00 pm or after. The bar I went to on the first night didn’t reference a closing time, merely, “open very late.” I also saw a review for BA nightlife that mentioned, “no self-respecting clubber would dare go out before 2am.” I believe it. 4) Your dollar goes a LONG way. Ham & Cheese on a croissant with an espresso: $2.50. Bottle of water (sin gas): $.50. Decent bottle of wine from the deli: $6.

In short, there is a lot to like. The city is relatively clean, massive, and has a distinctly international feel. I’ve walked 3 – 5 miles every day and only scratched the surface. IBM, Sun, and Microsoft all have big buildings “en el centro,” so it’s not as if you feel displaced in a 3rd world country.

And with that I think I´ll put an end to Fodor´s-like material. Plenty of opportunities for that variety of banter back in the States. Besides, we´re not here to talk about sites on the double-decker tour. From this point on I´m hoping randomness and musings will fill these pages. Having said asmuch, I´ll sign off for now with a question:

Which of the following is true: a) the pool at my apartment is littered with women who would rival Princess Leah in her bikini on Tatooine b) last night I went to a club that OPENED at 2:30 AM c) people with old school Atari shirts are everywhere d) I actually live in L.A. & down the street from George Clooney and Matt Damon (mis amigos) or e) all of the above.

When you come to a fork in the road, take it....

Well kids, hold onto the milk carton, your friend has entered the world of blogging. On the front end I'll admit that I've never been one to short change an email. Some of you have undoubtedly read encyclopedias shorter than some of my past offerings (encounters on the El come to mind). Hopefully my long-winded entries are part of the fun. If not, turn back now, because the Fire Swamp nears, and there may be long-winded battles with R.O.U.S.'s (Rodents of Unusual Size).

The intent here is to give you access to people, places, and randomness that I encounter, which we would not otherwise be able to share together. Some of the aforementioned may even been real. Please consider who you share these entries with. I intend to offer up a full assortment of happenings and thoughts. By all means, pass along to others if you think they would appreciate the discourse, but I expect you to preface all referrals with mention of my days as a national honor society choir boy -- especially if there's incriminating information being shared.

And with that, we've begun.