Feeling Insignificant

I saw a video of a Fleetwood Mac song that blew me away and made me feel so small at the same time.

Yeah, so it's about twenty years after their heyday, but still they take what was a semi-good song on the album and make it so much more passionate here. Lindsey Buckingham can do it all, yet he never had guitar lessons and doesn't even use a pick. I couldn't imagine simply being able to play that music, let alone singing so well while doing it. And he's a lot better looking than I am, too!

 That's a little of why I am so sad. I know that the only type of immortality we really have a shot at in this life is perhaps leaving behind some fantastic piece of art - whether a painting, a song, a book, etc. - that may be remembered by people long after we are gone. It doesn't bother me when someone is better than me at some particular talent, because I can always tell myself that I have talents where I am better than they are. Then someone like Lindsey comes along and is better at way too much all at the same time, and I can never hope to compare with even a single one of his talents. He has an amazing voice, plays incredible guitar, and is extremely charismatic. He's a great songwriter and, who knows, he can probably write rings around me in fiction if he wanted to.

For those of us in the writing game these days, it's about as tough as it has ever been. We can write a book now that, if published two hundred years ago, could have stood out and become a classic, but today it would most likely be buried in the avalanche of books being poured out by far too many talented writers. So rather than our book becoming a classic and making us well-known even after passing on, our book is quickly lost in the shuffle and forgotten.

I suppose getting older is making me far too aware of my mortality and of how quickly time is slipping away as far as being able to make a lasting mark on the world.

The Best Ever

Family, that is. Lots of people say such things, but in my case it's actually true: I have the greatest family ever seen in the history of the world.

My wife pointed out a few cute photos that I hadn't seen before. The first one was taken by a friend of hers in Baku, and she didn't have a digital copy, so I had to scan it. That's why it's not perfect, but check out the hilarious faces!

On the left is a neighbor girl. The middle is my eldest son Anton and Alex is on the right. I keep trying to convince them to try out drama, as I think they would be great, but they are too shy.

Here are a couple of pictures from our trip to London in the summer of 2010. They were taken by a friend who met up with my wife at a botanical garden.

I've never seen such affectionate and empathetic kids as my boys. I hope this world doesn't change them too drastically. Don't grow up too fast, sons!

My sons and my wife in the botanical garden. Often I wish time could slow way down to allow us to linger through the great periods. Getting old should be illegal!

A Walk Through the Castle District of Budapest

Yeah, yeah, I've been gone a long time. Sorry. Although Budapest is a lovely city, it's still an adjustment to get settled down in the new apartment, new job, new bosses and colleagues. I haven't been posting and I haven't yet started writing again. I owe a good buddy a crit of his large book, and I'm only three chapters in so far. I'd like to get that done by December, if possible.

On August 20 there was a big holiday here in Hungary. The embassy community celebrated it at the compound of the US Marines, which is a gorgeous place in the castle district, which you can see in the pictures below. I wish I had my camera with me that night, because the fireworks over the Parliament were spectacular.

Before I get to the photos I took today, I thought I'd throw out a couple that I liked from over the summer. Here is my younger son Alex with our cockatiel Gosha just before leaving Baku.

Another shot I liked is this picture of Multnomah Falls in Oregon.

So, today was a wine festival in the castle district of Budapest, and my wife enjoys wine and decided to go. I'm not a drinker, so I brought my camera and walked around the district with my two sons. I liked a lot of the photos, but I don't want to overwhelm you, so I'll just give you a taste.

Above is my older son Anton near one of the oddly-shaped buildings within the castle.

This is a view from the castle wall down to the Danube and the Hungarian Parliament building. When I go to work in the morning I cross the river in the metro and get out just at that building, then walk a block south (to the right) to get to the embassy.

Here is the big cathedral. It looks smaller in the photo than it does in real life (you can click any photo to enlarge). It's covered in amazing designs. Below is an example of some inset statues.

And finally a shot of Hungary's favorite St. Istvan.

I probably won't blog a lot for the moment, partly because I feel a bit overwhelmed with all the new things going on, and partly because I need to get the creative juices flowing again at some point before I feel ready to jump back into this game. I do keep track of your blogs, even if I only comment when something grabs my fancy.

Home At Last

Finally arrived in lovely Budapest this past Saturday. The weather is great, work seems like it will be just fine, and our tiny apartment is at least livable. What more can I ask for, except perhaps for all my household goods to arrive so I can relax and get back into writing?

DC Swamp

Usually when I depart Arizona for Washington DC during these home leave vacations it is a relief. This time Washington weather is worse than Arizona! Today it was well over a hundred degrees out, but with something like 90% humidity. Insane!

I met an old friend today and we talked about my writing, which was nice. He's always enjoyed helping me with my books.

We've met so many people over the years that my wife has every single day scheduled with various meetings with friends. It's funny how exhausting these 'vacations' always turn out to be. It will be a relief to finally get to Budapest next Friday.

Portland

My long summer with almost no internet continues. We are in Portland, Oregon for a week staying with some old friends, and it has been relaxing and fun. I've gone to a couple of parks to play football and baseball with the boys (my two sons and the son of our friends). We toured around Portland and walked through the downtown, including taking in an antique car show. We went down to the river so the boys could swim. My wife particularly liked the Japanese Garden and rose garden at the top of the hill.

My favorite so far was last night, when our friends took us to the Tony Starlight club to see the owner perform. He was quite amazing -- a really talented musician and mimic. He can sing like so many other famous people that it's astonishing. He ranged from Sinatra and Neil Diamond to Stealers Wheel, Gerry Rafferty, Blondie, and Stevie Nicks! If you are in Portland ever, I recommend you try to find a night when he is performing (it's fairly rare, as he usually just has other acts booked for his club).

Quick Note

A quick note to apologize that I have not been able to visit or comment on blog posts. My uncle's internet is down, so I have only been able to get on for short periods to check email while stopping at Starbucks or Barnes & Noble. I miss the blogosphere, and I feel like I am missing so many great posts out there.