It's alive!

And now, this blog rises from the ashes! I documented my time at the Odyssey workshop last year here, as well as my vacation after. Now I will use it to document this year's trip. Here we go.


Hello, children! Today we are going to play "What would you do to make airport security nervous?" Little Martin, what would be your answer to that question?
Ehm...grow a big beard and hide two 30 cm long screwdrivers in my carry-on?
Ding ding ding! We have a winner!

The beard we all know about, the screwdrivers I had forgotten completely. Jen and I worked in her apartment over the last month or so, to get it ready for sale, and I had put them in the outside pocket of my backpack to take them home. But no. There they remained, hidden, waiting, until a scanner in Amsterdam picked them up. No big commotion or anything, but two guys that looked like the others had nick-named "The Linebackers" did move a bit closer.

In the end, no problem. I am just out two screwdrivers. My question, though, is this. How come they weren't found by the scanners in Stockholm, as I flew to Amsterdam? Odd.

Other highlights included the man across the aisle who wore sunglasses the whole flight from Stockholm to Amsterdam, and the little girl who wailed for half an hour because her mom wasn't going on vacation too.

Anywho. Now I am in my friend Paul's house in Saint Paul, Minnesota. I flew in yesterday, a thirteen-hour trip from Stockholm to Amsterdam to Minneapolis. Paul and his wife picked me up, and then we sat up for a while, ate pizza and talked. I met Paul at the Odyssey workshop last year, so naturally we talked a bit about writing and the people and memories etc, but also other things.

It turns out that Minnesota will be voting to put an amendment on the state Constitution banning same sex marriage. They already have a law prohibiting it, an amendment would add it to the Constitution which means the law can't be voted down later. Bullshit. Complete bullshit. There's a big Vote No sign on the front lawn here at the house, of course.

I had no plans for my stay in the Twin Cities except the 49ers game on Sunday. Today it looks like we're going to a bar with a zombie theme and then go see Mono play at a small club. Before that, nothing planned, but probably some shopping and food.

That is all for now.