supervolcano

I have a secret affection for the natural disaster flic....earthquakes, tornadoes, and now the supervolcano. I could not have been more pleased when our friend D. stopped by last night with a belated birthday gift---a box of Oreos and the BBC miniseries "Supervolcano", which he had rented for my viewing pleasure. This mockumentary is based on geological fact, that part of Yellowstone sits atop a supervolcano (hmmm, the National Park Service made no mention of this as I traipsed around Old Faithful....). This SV has erupted three times in the past 2 million years, an average of once every 600,000 to 700,000 years, the last time 640,000 years ago. The movie follows the lives of the geologists assigned to watch activity at Yellowstone and what happens when the SV erupts, spewing ash as far east as Pennsylvania, destroying the Midwest, and affecting weather patterns all around the world. Fascinating movie, especially for those of us with a zeal for this kind of story. Not recommended for worrywarts. Just got back from visiting the garden center. Interesting how a boxload of plants doesn't seem heavy until one carries it halfway up the village (we live in the section of the village known as El Monte, whose name speaks for itself). I believe my muscles have fully recovered now after the atrophy they experienced during the two months of reposo absoluto. The weather seems to be improved, so it looks like M.A. and I will be off to Priego de Cordoba tomorrow. It feels strange to be traveling with someone either than myself or Big Jim. I love M.A., but traveling can always bring out different behaviors in people, and perhaps it is this unknown entity of our relationship that is making me feel odd. Don't get me wrong, M.A. is one of the most seasoned travelers I know. She has sailed everywhere and once was even shipwrecked on an deserted island. A couple years ago she drove solo in her 17-year-old car from the village all the way to Norway, via Vienna, where she stopped to visit some friends. I am sure it will be fine; after all, it is only for two days, hardly sufficient time to get on each other's nerves. :-) The e-tickets arrived this morning for our Munich-Brussels flight. All that I am waiting for now is my paper ticket for my flight to Frankfurt to be delivered. But at least everything now has been paid for and confirmed. And I get to see Big Jim in 13 days (not that I am counting or anything). :-) Big Jim is having three shalwa-camizes (the loose pants and tunic tops) made, one proper one suitable for going out and two for work. With the temperatures already hitting 95 F, he decided jeans were not going to be his friend much longer. He also has been stopping at the UN Club's swimming pool, to cool off and to swim laps (in attempt to lose the stone [ie, 14 pounds] he has gained living in Pakistan). Still no Internet line at his new house. He stopped by a web cafe in some village on the way to Lahore last week. Was a bit disconcerting when 200-odd locals crowded around the windows to watch him (and he thought having our neighbors stare at him cooking in the kitchen was bad), and children hung on his shoulders, peering over to watch what he was doing. Time to get my green thumb busy, and then pack my bag for tomorrow. The plan is to start off early because we are taking the backroads, but knowing M.A. we won't leave before 11. Which is a-okay with me because I hate being rushed in the morning. hasta luego, mylifeinspain