I WENT TO SAN FRANCISCO

IN AUGUST, I WENT TO SAN FRANCISCO WITH THE ELEMENT EUROPE FELLAS.  THEN I MADE THIS EDIT:

do people still blog?

it's been a while since our last rendezvous... and as i wanted to keep this short n sweet, it appears i've added more than the dozen i'd planned on.

so... dunno where we left off.  but here's juhannus, or midsummer to those who don't know.  in korppoo.

 we went to vienna, austria, for a few days.  wienerschnitzel.

 then it was off to gmunden, or a farm village near there, but i forgot the name.

the event was dallas and maria's wedding.  this baby deer was horsing around.

 we stayed in tents.  mine's that lime baby on the right.

 me n my missus.

 the happy bride n groom next to their chariot.

 couple buddies, tuukka and jesse2.

 forced this menace to stay a few extra days.  three muchachos, or something.

 we rented a boat.

 back home in helsinki, my folks came to visit.

 we went to st. petersberg, russia.

 america.

 america.

 america.

 then we decided to get wet.

 my folks are awesome.

 saw some art.

 back in helsinki.  no, turku.  at another wedding.

 us.

 another from st. petersberg.  not quite chronological.

 this was halloween.  sid n nancy.

 this baby couldn't handle the world around it.

 last days of autumn.  a sea of colorful creatures.

 ...and then it snowed.

 bartender in turku.

 sushi as the little mermaid.

 my first handrail.  now back in good ol' sunny arizona.

 ahhhhhhh... high 50's never felt so good!

 cheerios for birds.

 mutants.  frosty n squintz.

 steed and i in the rocks.

 lil frog

 sushi love

 muuuurka?

 christmas, desert style!

 up to the mountains to ketchup with some pals.  here, at their roost.

 then they took us to sedona.

 us.  in sedona.

 hippie shit.

 and they just wouldn't leave us alone.

 so we skipped town, and headed north to monument valley, in utah.

 monumental.

 crow.

 life.  death.

 went to four toilets, national monument.  i think there were some corners nearby, but these were much more interesting.

 ol' route 66

 "i'm on the road to nowhere..."

 went to petrified national forest, which was much more interesting than it sounds.  i expected to see a bunch of dead trees.  but it was breath taking.

then i got my bird a prickly pear margarita.

new years margaritas with suzanna.

 these nuckleheads came by.

 jetted over to sandy eggo to see the lil monsters.

 then it was off to mexico, where we wanted to see if we'd lose our heads.  just our minds were lost, necks are still in tact.

 these are views from our suite.  basically we had the whole joint to ourselves.

 then to long beach, to see this critter.

 of course, she has her downfalls, heh heh.

 northbound to santa barbara.

 us in long beach.

 scottsdale art museum.

 old town.

 naughty got his.

 these three came to hang around for a few days, which was awesome.

 ghetto d with his patented one-foot.

 juniper.

 oliver.  you have a lil something... ah, nevermind.

 isaac pushing this stone up the hill.

 went golfing.

 ...if you want to call it that.  more like babysitting the mentally challenged.

 and then it was back to the arctic north.  sushi caught herself a nasty case of dandruff.

 bargin'

 a lil out of context.  this was my last night in AZ.  i lost my glasses, after 50 cent beers at mother cluckers, walking home i think i was hit my a maniac in the back of the head, knocking my shades off.  luckily brandon is a wizard and somehow sensed where they were on the 3.5 mile trek between the bar and home.

 ginger, taking it in.

 got a new camera.

 overly thrilled.

 got a job selling concert merchandise.  first gig was beiber.

 went to tampere.

 threw a water balloon at anna.

 bruce springsteen.

 scared rat.

 waterparks in the spring.

 bought a house.  renovating.

 santa's lil helpers.

 painted it.

 went to lille, france.  got another job filming reality show.

 downtown lille.

 french cheese.  stinkin, but delicious!

 the joint, coming together.

 decided to tear down some walls.

 went to a kiss show.

 had a barfday.  goose was there.  went to the amusement park.

 then grilled on the rocks.

 went to the island, vacation style for goose.

 view from our window.  there was a fire back behind the church.

 painting the house.

 we had no toilet for seven weeks.  so we went to estonia to poop our brains out.

 tallin.

 old chick, probably a thief.

 this guy wanted his picture taken.

 mary poppins

 and then goose flew home.

 but i still have my dog.

 this year's juhannus.

 limp.

 went back to st. petersberg russia for my second gig on reality filming.

 commies.

 church.

 public toilet.

 my bags were lost with my shoes, clothes and life.  good thing my hotel was 2 miles away from the rest of the gang.

 hooligans.

 beauty

 came back to helsinki, where this hippie was awaiting me.

 almost lost my hat!  thanks, buddies!

 helsinki, through the eyes of levi.

 finally making headway on our bathroom!

 went on a last minute trip to crete, greece.

these guys were hanging out.

 boats and hoes.

our view from lunch.

 our view from another lunch.

 went cruisin!

 this is knossos.  oldest written civilization.  not bad for being 4000(?) years old.

 insane cave where the turks trapped the greeks

 beauty and the beach.  this place had pink sand!

 i sat on this unfortunate fellow and i thought it was going to die.

 monestary

 crete

 my third iron maiden show

 then it was back to the new world with element europe.  these guys are all quite funny.

 yosemite.  i was peeing while i took this.

 had a few days off, so i went to az.  in a sweatshirt.  in august.

i'd forgotten how insane that place is.  but was good to see these nuckleheads again.

 and this one.  he made it permanent in the bar.

 simon was flipping out.  again.

 then hopped over to sandy eggo to see the crazy adams family.

 back to finland for my friends, satu and sporge's, wedding.

dino was there with a busted pinkie.

 the lovebirds.

 saw public enemy.

 our house flooded so they put us up in a new place across town.  this is the view from our back yard.

 pirkka turned 30.

 we went to hanko to celebrate.

 madars and lauma, moments before departure back to latvia.

 reflecting...

 last of the summer vibes before this rain takes over our lives.

and abela abelah abedeh, THAT'S ALL, FOLKS!  maybe smell ya in another year or so.