** New Poll **

So the three of us have been going back and forth on this one! There are a few "American" bars in the more popular places we are going...Rome..Amsterdam..Munich.. and BJ wanted to hit some of them up, Pat and I both think that is a stupid idea....
:)
Sort of a dumb poll, but none-the-less.. it is there!

(Also...I posted twice on here, and subsequently pushed down Pat's post on bidet usage and etiquette, if you didn't read it...vote on the poll on the right and then scroll down and see it...I'm excited)

Good Friends!

I just wanted to shout out to my travel buddies, BJ and Pat...

This birthday sort of sucked because of finals time and not being with my family BUT we had a pretty kick-ass bbq last night and I wanted to thank Pat for the nice bottle of Grey Goose vodka that will help me round out my last week in Spokane!

And also thank BJ for taking me out for a couple beers and buying me lunch on my actual birthday, even though we had a final the following day!

:) Thanks guys...next birthday???? BJ's!! Where??? Cinque Terra!!
What are we getting him??? Drunk!!! :) :)

Hey...next week at this time...we will be ROLLING in from the Rome Nightlife :)

*sigh*
Okay, back to studying for Friday's final Final! :)

Exactly What I've Been Looking For: How to Use a Bidet

Chances are, if you're traveling through Europe, Latin America, East Asia, or the Middle East, you'll eventually encounter a bidet in the bathroom. It's traditionally a basin near the toilet that's used to clean the genitals and anal area after using the toilet or whenever a "freshening up" is needed. While your first encounter with a bidet can be a little daunting, they are actually very simple (and hygienic) to use.

Steps
1. Use the toilet first. The purpose of the bidet is to help clean off after toilet use. While some people believe that using a bidet is a hygienic substitute for toilet paper, many choose to use both.
2. Straddle the bidet. On most standalone bidets you can either face the bidet's water controls or you can face away from them, as you would on a toilet. It is easier to control the flow and temperature of the water if you face the controls, but if you are wearing pants you will generally need to remove them in order to straddle the bidet in this manner. There are a variety of bidet designs, so the configuration of the jets and the area of your body that you wish to clean may dictate which way you need to face.
3. Adjust the temperature and jet strengths for comfort. If the bidet has both hot and cold water controls, start by turning on the hot water. Once it's hot, add the cold water until you have a comfortable temperature. (In normally hot climates, such as the middle east, you should start with the cold water. The water will not need time to heat up and you may end up burning sensitive areas if you turn the hot water on first.)

* Be very careful when turning on the water, as many bidets can produce a very high jet of water with only a slight turn of the control.
* Be sure that you know where the water will be coming from ahead of time, or you could end up with a surprise shower.
* You may find that you need to hold the control to keep the jets on.

4. Position yourself over the water jets so that the jets hit the desired area. For some bidets you can continue to hover above the bidet or you can sit down on it. Note that most bidets don't have seats, but are still meant to be sat upon; you just sit directly on the rim. Some bidets do not have jets, but instead simply have a faucet that fills the basin, as you would fill a sink basin.

5. Clean anal area and/or genitals. Generally, you simply allow the jets to clean the desired area without having to use your hands. If there are no jets, you will need to use your hands to assist in bathing. You can use soap if you want to, applying it just as you would in the shower.
6. Dry your skin. Some bidets have a built-in air dryer that you can use. For others, simply pat dry with toilet paper. Many bidets have a towel on a ring positioned next to the bidet, but this is often intended for drying hands.
7. Rinse out the bidet. Once you are off the bidet, run the jets at very low pressure for a few seconds to rinse the basin and keep the bidet fresh.
8. Wash your hands with soap and water, as you would any time after using the toilet.

WARNINGS

* Dry wipe at least once after having a bowel movement and before using the bidet. Excess fecal matter may clog the bidet drain. This can be quite disgusting for someone who uses the bidet after you.
* Be very careful adjusting the temperature and pressure on the bidet. You want to avoid scalding sensitive skin, and high pressure can be very irritating.
* Drinking from a bidet is not recommended. The stream can ricochet off a soiled area and become contaminated.
* If you are in an area with questionable water supply sanitation, refrain from using bidet on broken/irritated skin. Your skin is only an adequate barrier against infection when intact.

Well, no one else

Well, no one else seems to want to Blog :) So I will again,,,,

In the last 24 hours we booked our Dublin hostel, our Amsterdam hostel, and our flight from Dublin to London! I still need to book the flight from Amsterdam to Dublin, but I can't find one that is earlier than like 5PM.... :(

One more final, this Friday!

I got a great big back pack from Lesbo Jill as well as small but good speakers for my ipod for the house :)

Umm, what else? Jill just called, she is coming to pick me up, I lost my keys at my Birthday BBQ last night so my car is still at her house, keys found now...she is on her way to get me .... so I have to bounce,

I will write more later.

With all these hostel bookings the itinerary is almost ready to be sent out, it is pretty cool....just waiting on BJ for the Munich one and Pat on the Sorento one....and we all have to decide on how we are ending our trip in London! I saw we find someone to stay with on Craigs List ... no? :)