A Declaration

Alright, so here's the scoop: I sat down on Sunday, September 26th to post what was to be the final installment of the travelogue, as I said I would in my post two days before that. It was a rather eerie afternoon; pretty cold and extremely windy, even by Danish standards. As I attempted to log into my account, the browser didn't seem to cooperate and I was unsuccessful the first time. And the second time. And the third... Finally, by the fifth or sixth attempt, I managed to get in but figured something was awry. Nevertheless, I was determined to stay true to my word and do some bloggin'. As I wrote, the auto-save feature was completely out-of-commission and I knew that my work stood a good chance of being lost in the series of tubes that Alaska Senator Ted Stevens warned us about several years back. Before I invested too much time and energy into what seemed to be a aimless project, I tried to publish what I had and low-and-behold, it didn't work. Same story for the next few hours then and after long, I waved the white flag and once again, let down the seven remaining NTD fans out there.

Well, I wish I could say that has been the case since then, but aside from being out of town last week, I've simply been around and not writing. This displeases me, really. The entries on my travels got me into a little rhythm (a very little rhythm) and I was having fun with it. But that stupid episode really set me back and here I am now, two weeks later, self-loathing and toting more lame excuses. Boo-hoo: get over it, ya mook. Something must be done.

With that, I sit before you now on my exercise ball (in good posture) and offer this proclamation:

"My time in Denmark is short. Before long, I shall return to the land of my people and resume whatever it was that I was doing before I left. However, I am a man of service and cannot in good conscience leave this Danish soil without upholding that duty, which I so faithfully executed during the better part of my first months here. The following information, via Now that's Danish!, will be delivered to you, the humble readers of said publication, before my stay is completed:

- The final details of my travels thoughout the lands, Europe

- No less than three (3) events or commentaries on things Danish, which I found particularly entertaining

- My final thoughts on the Kingdom, Denmark

Take this as you will, for I feel my past failures and absences have already compromised the integrity of your reading pleasure. However, if you can find it in yourselves to check the progress of this digital word dipository over the next week or so, I vow you shan't be disappointed."

There you have it. Hopefully my olde-tymie speak has won a few of you back. I look forward to making good on this declaration as my triumphant 'last stand.'

Unfortunately, this won't be happening tonight, as I will be awaking at the very uncommon hour of six tomorrow morning for what might be one of the events I'll be sharing with you soon. Check back to find out!

-------

Not good enough for you? Hmm ... I suppose I deserve that. Well, I can offer you this (and no, I won't be counting this as one of the entries I just promised):

If any of you have ever enjoyed a so-called 'Eat Free on your Birthday' promotion at a restaurant in the US, you've probably left the joint hungry and disillusioned. Most places wave this offer in your face, ignoring the fine print that typically reads, ''Up to a $10 Value." Last I checked, that's not eating FREE on your birthday, folks; that's eating ten bucks of free food and then you're left shelling out the rest.

If you're looking to avoid the heartbreak associated with moments like this, do yourself a favor and come to Denmark on your special day. In a custom that is extremely atypical of most things Danish, a family restaurant 'round these parts called Bone's allows you to come on in, show some ID that says it's your fødselsdagen (fouh-sells-day-en) and enjoy a meal on them, no questions asked. All you have to do is buy your own drink. I did this tonight with a few friends and enjoyed 289 Kroner (about fifty bucks, US) worth of ribs. Bone's is an American-themed steakhouse, much like a Smokey Bones or Texas Roadhouse. I must say that the ribs were just as good as any that one would get at either of the aforementioned places. Below is a picture of me with my delicious present, complete with birthday flag. It is tradition here to surround the birthday boy or girl with flags, a custom that started back in the German-occupied Denmark of World War II. This was to signify that the people would never let go of their heritage and that they would be proud in the face of adversity. In my case, I was just hungry.


I'd say it was a good day. Talk to you soon.