Ryan Byrd’s Ramblings

Here is the first of the pics, hot off the camera, from the recent trip:

This one from the Czech Republic’s lovely Cesky Krumlov.

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I’m very recently back from my quick Europe trip. It’s good to be in the US of A. There’s no place like home. Here’s a sweet pic of me in the Frankfurt airport happily waiting while Delta screwed up our flights. You’ll note the safari vest, the scruffy facial hair, the awesome tee and the cola bottle gummy candy (best on earth). Thanks to all those who emailed me while I was away. Some have asked if I was wearing a GPS satellite tracking device. I was. Here’s my trip’s SPOT map page.

After a day’s stay in Bratislava we traveled to Budapest (the Pest part of Budapest, to be specific.) The temperature in this ancient city is particularly elevated as it sits atop boiling hot springs. We visited a few of those baths where we were assaulted (not literally) by waves of men in Speedos. In the States, it is generally agreed that men ought not to wear small, form-fitting swimming suits. This prohibition is doubly in effect for those older than forty and overweight. As our poor eyes will testify, this rule was broken so extensively by our Budapestian brothers as to exhaust any hope of its reconstitution. Our poor eyes…

The answer to this question for many, is yes. This weekend, down in Moab (pronounced as one syllable– “mobe” by illiterate, smart alec kids), a couple hundred outdoor enthusiasts gathered at Left Hand (a swimming hole at the North Fork of Mill Creek canyon.) To get there, plan on a a fifteen minute, mile-long hike along a trail which includes thigh-high water and bouldering. When you arrive, you find a thirty foot cliff rising out of a three-sided canyon. And a lot of energetic people in various stages of undress leaping from the cliffs. I photographed a few for you to see.

Planning a Moab trip? here are some printable adventuring Moab mabs for you.

Many of you secretly (and not so secretly) expressed relief when Marvellous Mustache May was over and I finally shaved off my best attempt at upper-lip hair. It’s true, it only looked like a real stash when I put mascara in it, and when I did that (only once), people claimed I resembled a Columbian drug lord. It’s hard to win in the mustache world.

The culminating event in this mustache mayhem was a convergence of my moustachioso brethren (and supporting ladies) at an aging bowling alley for some pin-knocking fun. I arrived with my newly acquired video production gear (including a Canon XHA1 HD video camera), and interviewed a half dozen of the attendees. Even though I was still fighting off a terrible summer flu, I think my line of questioning went pretty well. You can be the judge.

• Mustache May 08 Interview 1
• Mustache May 08 Interview 2
• Mustache May 08 Interview 3
• Mustache May 08 Interview 4
• Mustache May 08 Interview 5
• Mustache May 08 Interview 6

Well, my eastern perambulations are coming rapidly to a close. In the final analysis, over a thousand miles were driven and hundred of photos and nearly six hours of film was taken. I’m excited and exhausted, all at once. I’m glad we’re done, but I found the process thrilling. Here are a few of today’s pictures. Enjoy!

Today we met up with my oldest brother and his family and headed down to an old park we used to visit growing up– remind me to tell you about a race experience I had there once (it involves bullying and a brier patch and a rare photo.) Then we hit up a famous soft-serve ice cream joint– Jimmie Cone. Absolutely fabulous.

And so I arrived this morning in D.C. at 7am. On the way here I took a few photos on the plane and throughout the day, traveling in Virginia and Maryland, I snapped away. The sky is so big here and without the smoginess I’m accustomed to in Utah, it seems much, much brighter. So enjoy… Any favorites?

And so I find myself once again, forced to flee my hometown. Okay, not forced per se, but maybe compelled by a flareup of wanderlust? Whatever the cause, I’m currently sitting in the SLC Airport A terminal, right outside of gate A7, watching people excitedly queue up to get jammed into a sorry excuse for a flying bus. I’ve previously spoken about Southwest and their policy to treat people like livestock. I once even gave tips on how airlines could further mistreat passengers. Today I’m flying JetBlue. JetBlue used to be pretty nifty, what with all their Mormon mom telephone agents. Then they accidentally imprisoned people on an airplane on the tarmac, for, I donno, like a week or so. Then they canceled a ton of flights and now everyone hates them. Even if they do have free in-flight television. Question– when do we get in-flight Internet access? It’s really hard to live without the web, ya know?

When I went to the Ivory Coast, we were VIP and that meant we didn’t have to pass though the airport security (because VIPs never pose threats.) I’m obviously not very important to the Salt Lake International airport, because not only did I have to clear security, they scanned my bags twice. Here’s a new motto for the airline industry; we constantly strive to  make a bad things much, much worse. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very amusing to bathe in the sweet sock stench as the masses uncover their largely misshapen feet and unbelt themselves. It’s curious to think of the geniuses who decided to ban most liquids (state of matter discrimination!) I wonder, too, why they extended the liquid ban to include things which clearly are not liquid– like gels (colloids), pastes, etc. I’d like to know from that same committee of expert security decision makers if it’s okay to bring a bottle of frozen water on board. Frozen water is no longer liquid, after all. Somehow, that nuance I think would be lost on those luminaries. But maybe I’m stirring the pot too much. Troublemakers (and those wearing turbans) get singled out for special consideration (ie, “the wand”, and Mr “I’m going to pat down your private areas with the back of my hand.”)

But here I am, waiting. Not accepting packages from strangers. Not allowing my bags out of sight. anticipating the not-hot stewardesses as they energetically demonstrating the proper workings of a seatbelt (so that’s what that metal buckle does!) Up, up and away!

Flying tip of the day: don’t pack it. You can alway buy there it if you really need it.

Did I resize this blog pic online? yes.