Benjamin!! Well - it sure would have been fun to call YOU for once - work has been sooo busy that I didn't even have time to check the Message Board yesterday . . . oh well - will be waiting to hear about Budapest! Now then . . . sounds like we have twisted Alex's arm to come - cool beans . . . Lis - how about you - whatcha doin' on Sun, 8/29? Hope you can join us for our LITTLE picnic . . . however you may NOT wear any Yankee apparrel - or otherwise duke it out - especially with the last of the great Red Sox fans - my sister Laurie!! I loved your UCONN update - too funny. Ben - hope it's ok for me to invite your friends to the picnic??!! Ok - back to work for me now . . . love you Ben.

well yeh as per ussual i am never follwoing my schedual.....no more psoting for today...unless i do it tonight but that is tbd....train leaves in about 45 minutes for budapest so i got no time for storytelling....but i do already have my ticket so all is well....anywho....yeh i will give a go looking up tonight but due to my constant proximety to cities the stars have been less frequant.....and lis thank you for keeping up to date with everything but the red sox are so much cooler....what is the wildcard standings....and at heart i will always have a soft spot for the cubs....ok must jet...ttyl....ben

Hi, Ben!
A quick note......I heard on the radio today that the Perseid meteor shower is great tonight and is best seen in Europe!!! Take a look!
Love you loads,
Laurie

Alright Ben... here you go... my first posting... seeing as I found the site a couple weeks ago... I thought it was about time.

I don't really know what to say because everyone else has pretty much said it. "Sounds like you are having an amazing time," "live it up," "I miss you," all the usual stuff...

Reading all of the postings and whatnot has kept me busy during my work hours :P...

And since everyone else is updating you on things, I thought I would pick UConn as a topic of interest:

1) Construction... lots of it (as per usual)
2) Campus is quiet (not a lot of people... but Huskies still manages to get crowded)
3) There is no right side of the Student Union (as it has been torn down)
4) We were warned to either keep our living room window open or to Not use our Air Conditioning (we feel so safe)
5) The cows smell great... ecspecially on those hot days

(ok, not so interesting... same ol UConn)

I hope you are doing well and I am so excited for you to come home...

P.S. Yankees are 10.5 up :)

Well i must say how pleased i am that this is becoming such an interactive message board...haha...as for the italian nuns no worries due to the route i have planned...the priest thing though now there is a thought.....ummm er maybe not.....well anyway here in vienna and there is a ton to do....lots of cool things but i am limiting myself to as much as i can see until tom at 3 when i take a bus or train to budapest....however the current hostel i am staying in is like luxery....most hostels around here are like 15 a night even 12.....well this one was 22....but it has a refridge and private bathroom but it is missing a bed....so seeing that it is missing a bed it is only going for 10 a night.....i was in heaven....well moving along it also has a phone.....yup a phone....well so i was thinking two things....first i should prank call the reception and other rooms all night....well next i was thinking it was time that instead of me springing calls on people at random and prolly inconvient times i will open it up to the masses....also i have these phones cards i have been lugging around so i will put one of them up and you can give em a shot....but i dont think they will work as austria is not listed on the back but give a go anyway......so my only concern is if others are sleeping (as of now i have no roomates and the potential for it to stay that way is good....) so for a cap lets go with no later then 12pm here (ie 6pm there) just in case....oh and i will be back in the room by 930pm here time (330pm there time)....soooo with all that said (i know no one is gonna end up reading this and no one will call and i will be all depressed haha)....anyway here are the numbers :::::

calling card 18008560656....pin 8223465053......



my room in vienna austria......(00431)59979303......i have never used international call so i have no clue how to do it....the way most seem to be is you press 00 to get out of the country then the country code (austria is 43) and city code (vienna is 1)......so basically i think you press all of them.....well now thast i have babbled a bit i am off to explore and eat.....hit me with an email if you know you will call and i will check my email right before i go back to the room in case we need to schedual times....i dont know none of this will prolly work but i figured i would give it a shot.....aight i am done.....tty later....ben

Hi Ben! Just back from a trip to CT to see your cousins Scott, Stacie and young Jeffrey. Stopped in Harwinton as well to deposit TWO articles about Dispatch on your bureau.....such service! Hope you see Vienna a little - it is probably the city I liked the most in Europe. Only 2.5 weeks to go in your odyssey...we're looking forward to seeing you. Love, Laurie

Yup, I'm with the Mom on the nun thing. Staying away from the priests would also be good. As for the picnic, thanks for the invite and since I don't think I'll be stirring up any trouble that weekend, you can count me in :)

Sorry Mom.........Vinny was the one that told me about the nuns....shame on you Vinny !

Dom . . . I forgot you!! Only temporarily though! Looking forward to seeing you at the picnic too!!! (I have a possible art project for you!) So now I will wonder if they have the internet in Budapest!! Back to the weekend chores . . .

Well for 5 franks a minute this is gonna be short....i am in interlockin switzerland....i was gonna go to lucien like helga suggested but no trains were going anytime soon so i hoped on the interlockin one.....walked up an alp today and tom i plan on doing more of that.....i have a night train tom night to veina and arrive around 830am....since i am using a eurail day i may or may not stay i have to think about it on the train ride over.....or if i can see a bit of the city and then take the train to budapest.....yup im gettin out to the boondockies which means maybe no contact from ben for a bit......i will prolly see budapest for a few days then start the eastern europe trek north.....so anywho i am doin well and will talk again soon i hope....ben

Well well well . . . the phantom Alex has made her presence known in CT!! Hopefully she will return on the 29th - as long as she doesn't bring rain or wind to our picnic!! Hoping you can find the internet in Switzerland Benny! Ray - don't be leading my prize son astray!! You will have to answer to his mother (and she may not be the only hurricane in town!!) Beth - thanks for keeping in touch with Ben - I understand that Emmett might join our gathering at the end of the month (come with him if you like!!). . . great! The more the merrier! Lovely weather in CT this weekend . . . Enjoy!!

Okay ray... That's Gross!!, ben; stay AWAY from the nuns!, anyway, am having a ball reading your postings, hang in there , you will be home soon...your Glastonbury shifts are waiting.