I CAN'T STAND IT

Is there anything worse than too much foreplay?? This Spain trip is the BIGGEST tease. I am freaking out. Every time I think about Spain, it literally takes my breath away (the only thing other than maybe live music, like the symphony or a choir that has ever taken my breath away), followed by a few seconds of nausea. I'm soooo close, and I know I'm on "the list", and I know my boss wouldn't be teasing me with this trip just to be mean. But I also know that if something comes up, I'm at the bottom of the barrel (that can't be spelled right...) and I'd be the first to be axed. As I would totally expect, I mean, it's me (the lowly undergrad), 2 grad students, and 3 profs. The idea that I'd even be considered is a total FLUKE. So until I have a non-refundable plane ticket in my name, my excitement proceeds with caution.

But it's still THERE. You know what the worst is? My boss asked me to research the trip and put together an estimated budget. She says, "See what it would cost for a 2 day side trip to Barcelona" and "See if we can catch the running of the bulls before we go to the conference." (pause for loss of breath and nausea) Holy COW. I can't ignore the trip. The other thing is, I have to send my passport off for a free name change (which you can do for up to a year after your passport was issued). That's the first thing I started looking at where I had to start thinking seriously about me going. Then the planning and budgeting bit. Yesterday I bought memory cards for my camera on Woot and thought, "I'll probably want that for the trip." I think about my hair and whether I want it short or long next summer in the heat. I think about how I can pack for 9 days with the new baggage restrictions (not to mention the fact that I won't have Tom to carry half of my crap...LOL).

And just so I can thoroughly jinx myself, check out some pictures of Alicante, Barcelona, and Pamplona.

Alicante:

Note castle on top of gorgeous mountain. If you've known me at all, you know that thrills the crap out of me. I'm wanting the drop the f-bomb and I haven't had any wine. It's an f'in CASTLE!


Tall building is the conference hotel.


CASTLE


Barcelona




Pamplona. This picture is the closest I'm getting to any bulls.


BTW, I am morally opposed to the running of the bulls. I don't know what that says about me that I still want to go! I think they will probably end up nixing Pamplona anyway, but I would never say no to getting to go to something like that. Still, they are so mean to those bulls. They taunt them, they're terrified (the bulls, not the morons that run), and then they kill them in the bull fights. Did you KNOW that?! I learned it in Spanish last year. A lot of the bull fights are just for show now. Actually, I'm not sure if they still kill the Pamplona bulls...I'd think so, since it seems like such a traditional and barbaric event. I don't know. Anyway, poor bulls!

Update: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/07/running_with_the_bulls_in_pamp.html
They do kill the bulls. Holy crap. Don't click that picture that says "this picture is objectionable". That's nausea for a completely different reason than excitement. Ugh!!! I can't stand the thought of those bulls being teased and tormented, and then KILLED.