Dirty Little Secrets

These are some of things I have learned during my time “on the beach”

• All those people that say come in at 7 and leave at 3, are lying, they come in at quarter of 8 at best, or 8:30, and then still leave at 3. I observe that on the rare occasions I come in at 8 and happen to be the first person at the office.

• No one really cares, you show up, talk to people, send some emails, and no one really cares.

• All office building delis are horrid places with even more horrid food.

• There is nothing better than a 1.5 hour lunch break, to make you sleepy and non productive, but at the same time, if you eat in 20 minutes, you are not going to be more productive or engaged.

• Best time to buy groceries, at 2 after the lunch crowd, you can even do cart wheels in the store! And all the shelves are restocked and there are no, absolutely no lines.

• The New York Times is the best newspaper in the country, followed closely by our own Washington Post.

• Never write long emails, no one reads them. If you have a lot to say use bullet format that way when people come back with I did not know, you can just point at the list they clearly did not read.

K, now I have to go work…

Tuesday's notes

Hey y’all had a good birthday weekend, I enjoyed seeing everyone and hanging out, and had some down time too which was nice. Other than that, not more to talk about this week has started slow, and something tells me it will remain that way – cross your fingers.

The big question of the week is do I try to get an ensemble for Miss Adams Morgan or do I jut go like a boring person with a shirt and slacks. I am not sure, I live dressing up, but basically the event will be 2 weeks from now, and I have nothing, I mean nothing, except the coat from last year. Maybe the Argentine can help with ideas, but I am at a loss for what to try and come up with. The theme of the party is TVLand, and of course I missed all those “great” sitcoms from the 80’s and 70’s and even part of the 90’s so no clue what to do. Any one has any ideas? A lot of people are doing Bewitched, today at the pool I heard three different people that have that idea, so there will be so many Esmeraldas it won’t be even funny.

Well that is all for today, I will be trying to do some work today, we shall see.

Friday’s round up or NPR sometimes makes me cry

As I was driving to work, as usual listening to Morning Edition, I got all misty eyed and all that, and it was not allergies or cold, it was NPR. They were showcasing Ken Burns’ new documentary about II WW, and I have always been interested in that war, it to me the greatest conflict of the 20th century. But it was not the political and military aspects that made the piece so interesting, Burns has chosen to tell the story through three cities in the US, and cover the three main theaters of the War – from an American point of view – the Atlantic, the Pacific and the home fronts. The documentary chose Luverne, Minn. Sacramento, Calif., Waterbury, Conn., and Mobile, Ala., as the places where start, and covers the impact of the war on the towns, and the places where the town’s men and women went to fight the war. It is not the horrors of the battles that made me sad, but the stories told by an Alabama newspaper, where a writer chronicled what was happening in town with candor and feeling, on of his stories is about a Friday, when the town is shutting down, but there is a rumor that a telegram is coming for a certain family that lived in Magnolia St, as the husband was walking home, he asked which of his 4 boys it was, and when he got the name, we kept walking home to break the news to his wife. It is those stories that help me keep perspective and realize that our trials and tribulations are not as epic or grandiose as they seem to us.

The documentary will air on PBS this Sunday, but here is the link to the NPR story.

Also the pic in the post today is from the extension of the Prado Museum in Madrid, I was reading El Pais, and they had this gallery and article on the expansion of the Museum, and it looks so pretty, so amazingly pretty, that I decided to post a picture and give you a link to the gallery. Moneo, the architect, did a terrific job, he expanded the building in a modern way, not replicating the XVIIIth century building yet making it feel warm and light. You know I was thinking of the architects when I saw the pictures.

Tales of the City

Last night I found out that Tuesday someone was assaulted right around the corner from my place. To say it was shocking was an understatement; seriously, it was for me a blow to my sense of security and peace of mind. Apparently – I tried to find a story on the WaPo unsuccessfully – the person attacked had parked down the hill (this is a one way street with the park on one side and house on the other) and was walking up hill when he was cornered by two guys that pushed him to the ground and took his wallet and cell phone and Lord knows what else. From the email that the president o the block sent, the person went to the hospital, and I ma hoping everything is fine and it was just a scare. But momentarily and for a while I will be uneasy every time I park and walk to my place with a laptop, a gym bag and plenty of paraphernalia needed when one works so far away from home that one carries with oneself half one’s thing every morning.

I am not even going to go into the usual discussion, the two attackers are the “usual” suspects, and that is all. I mean we live in a city and cities are dangerous places. I know that. I also know that it happens everywhere, in Gtown, in Mt Pleasant, in Columbia Heights, everywhere, so no one is free of it, not even the people in Potomac, from what happened there this week. But still, what is one to do, I can not be home at 6 every night locked away safely, I need to go out, swim, come back home, so the answer is to continue one’s life. Even if I have a rational discussion about this, I am still afraid, at least a little bit. I guess time will take the fright away, and in a couple of months I will be able too park and not look for suspicious people. But for the time being, you betcha I have a plan and I will be overtly alert.

Pictures!!

Today I have not much to post about, I did go to the gym yesterday and planning on swimming today which makes me proud. In the mean time I am at the office, training myself and waiting for the next project, but I finally put all the Pictures from my summer travels online and decided that you, if you have the time and the inclination, should see them, here they are:

Paris

Amsterdam

Giverny

I liked the ones from Giverny, and I have to concur with the Architect that after seeing the gardens one starts questioning Monet's talent.

Back on track

This is my 4th week back in DC full time, and by now I had anticipated to be fully incorporated into my old routine. Yes the gym, swimming, eating semi healthily and all that. Unfortunately that did not happen, at all. I tried swimming and I am in such bad shape that I feel like I can barely lift my arms and swim. It is like I am relearning it. The gym well lets not talk about that, I have been there twice in three weeks, hopefully that will all change today (cross your fingers) and the diet, well at least I have managed to eat diner at home almost 4 times per week, which to me is a record. So that has been the easiest part of it, the hard part has been getting my ass of the bed or the desk and start working out a little more, until I am in shape again.

That is all the news I got, really it has been a challenge, and I need to get to it because my stay in the south just left me out of shape, I can barely believe it.

The Year of Magical Thinking

I just put down this book, and it is so good that I want to write the review immediately before I forget it. It took me a while to finish it, 2.5 weeks, it is barely 250 pages, but the subject is very hard, but the writing and her approach to it is unbelievable. So go the Argentine’s blog, for the review, and then go to Amazon, or Kramer’s or wherever and buy this book and read it.

Knitting Lessons

Today the knitting part of this blog re-emerges because on of my coworkers who is about to go on pregnancy leave – I am sure that is not the name, but I can not think of the technical one right now – asked me to teach her how to knit. Her objective like mine is to pass the time, not to make an afghan or even a scarf, but like the GCC says it is about the process not the product. I agree whole heartedly, being one of those who can not sit still for more than 10 minutes, I understand her completely. If I had to be locked up in a house with an infant, I would go nuts.

Today at lunch time, we are going to get her some yarn, and I will teach her how to knit. At first I thought I would give her yarn, but then thought that she should choose it, not that the first ball of it will be useful or anything, but she needs to choose it in a color she likes. Of course this gives me the opportunity to get more yarn. Been thinking I have too many dark colors, I need something lighter, in a yellow or an orange, or a light blue for a blanket I have been meaning to finish sometime in 2010. I digress, then it will be time to teach the purl and the knit, and let her practice. I guess this officially makes me one of the gayest people I know. Oh well …

Oiii, my people!!!

At first today had little to blog about, there is always the anniversary, but many have talked about it much better than I could. I tend to be too corny when talking about grandiose topics and feelings, just ask the Argentine, which by the way is still away, but he is coming back soon. Alas, I found a story of great interest, I must warn you it is in Spanish, but I will translate the gist of it. A Mexican couple named their child Yahoo, as in the search agent, I think they used its’ personals to meet, or something. The article just mentions that they insisted on calling the kid Yahoo, even if the people at the civil registry – in Mexico, when you are born, you go to the Civil Registry and register the child, that is the law, I am not sure how it is done North of the border – warned them of the psychological harm they child would come to as he grew up and went to school. Apparently in the same jurisdiction an “environmentalist” couple called their children Tree, Arbol in Spanish. Funny huh, well those are my people, what can I say, I have heard worse, such as boys called USMAIL, or girls called Lady Di, can you imagine, a cute little Mexican girl called Lady?

So what are there some funny names you know? Do you think people can be scared by the name their parents give them? I think so, that is why people should use good Christian names, when they have good Christian Last names, and to my peoples everywhere in this country, please, please, please stop calling people Brian when their last names will be Gonzalez or Perez.

Have a good day,,, stepping off my classist soap box.

A year in the Merde - the book Review

Ok, yes another book review, I kinda fell of the face of the planet for the last 2.5 weeks, but my parents were in town, I was in training and had a myriad things to do. Go to the Argentine’s site for the review.

I get the Paris Pictures, because he gets the book review. Yes he is still in Argentina, but he is coming back soon.

Parents in town

My parents are in town, the arrived last Saturday and they leave Labor Day, hence my absence. Been all over town, dropping them places, taking them to the metro or Union Station and introducing them around. Some quick notes:

-> The freaked out after the second dinner with the Argentine, I guess the theory is much easier than the practice, when it comes to dealing with a big gay son. They are fine now, and I am hoping by the end of the weekend, they will be perfectly adjusted to the fact that they have a fagot for a son.

-> DC is a good city for parents, lots to do, and lots do for free.

-> Philly is of no interest to my middle age Mexican parents, they liked Constitution Hall, but I am guessing not enough shopping for Mom.

-> On the topic of shopping,anyone needs to/wants to come with me to Ikea and the outlet malls this weekend?

I been "working from home", yes big quotations around it. It worked well this week since the parents are here. Otherwise I am not sure how people ever work from home, I am booooored.

OK, back to work ...

This is all i get ???

After 6 months of staying 3 or 4 nights a week at a hotel, I decided to see how many points I have and what I could use them for. Yesterday I called the Hilton guest services program and realized I have 70,000 points. I thought well at least I can get a nice vacation out of this, 3 or 4 nights, or something. I call again because we are organizing a trip to NYC to see Spring Awakening, and I am trying to cash in my points and all I got as a certificate to you to pay for 2 nights a the Hampton Inn in Chelsea, but the kicker is this line I got in the email sent by Hilton:

Description: This certificate valid for two free nights at any Category 5 property.

What? Since when am I a category 5 anything … I guess points are meaningless in this time of traveling consulting and all that. I should have known when half the passengers in my flight to Charlotte in the morning have some sort of status. It is just the normal travelers that have no status.

Starting my good byes

This is my last week in Wilkes, and so yesterday they had a farewell dinner for me and the other guys who are leaving. It was lovely, really, maybe it was because I am leaving, but the dinner was a lot of fun, extremely relaxes and we manage to have dinner and drinks in less then 4 hours, which got my back at the hotel at 9:30. Perfect timing if you ask me. I got a card, very funny one and the following gifts:

Pencil Sharpener
4 assorted pens
3 notebooks for notes
Crayons
Markers
Thank you cards
Color clips, and a dispenser box
A 50 dollar gift certificate

The were all gag gifts except the certificate, before I left, they always gave us company regalia, and I said, no, no, no, no, I do not want or need a polo or a pad folio with a company logo. So they heard me, and they decided to give useful stuff.

I guess have nothing more to blog about; the week has been rather empty and boring, being working on this and that.

The shared Book Reviews

Wow, two posts in one day, I amaze myself, the second post can be found by going to the Argentine's site, see the link on the Dahlings section.




In what I hope will be a new tradition, I will review some books, and posting the reviews on the Argentine's Blog. The rule for me, is not reading his review so that I am nor influenced by what he has to say.

Massification

About 2 months ago I went to Candida’s a small travel book store on 14th St, and found this great cute little tag to put on my bag that says “ Toto we are not in Kansas anymore”, and I put it on my gray roller and felt so chic and smart. Yes I felt like an original, and urban and in the know. Then last week I walk into the magazine store, where the Diplomat asked me to buy for him the Rolling Stone with Zac Efron on the cover, and I see a little display with the exact same tags I had bought at Candida’s. And I thought this was something new and unique, well what new and unique can be found in Greensboro? Not much.

It’s a good thing I will stop traveling soon, at least for the time being, so that I can not be reminded about the lack of originality in my luggage tag.

Modern Fairytale

Once upon a time, in the rural landscapes of North Carolina, there was castle. In this castle there were many rooms, given to strangers that spend some of their time helping the feudal lord run the county. Every now and then a stranger would come and they would be given a room to test for their real talents. One of those nights, on of the strangers, got back to his room and tired of a long day of work and politicking, decided to turn on the TV and sit on this bed and watch something or other. He looked and looked and could never find the remote control, it was not in the bathroom, it was not on the desk, it had disappeared. The old fashioned way he thought, he pressed the on button and scrolled to a channel he liked. Once this was done he, threw his packages on the floor and proceeded to lay down on the bed. He felt something weird, like a bump in the bed, weird he thought, but he was tired, so he just sat there, and started thinking – this one stranger is always thinking – what could it be. It felt like something was under the covers, but what could it be, this was a simple room in a simple castle, there was nothing under the bed. So he kept watching and it dawned on him the remote. He jumped off the bed and turned the bed down, and looked for whatever was on the middle of the bed, and of course he found the remote control. Under other circumstances this could have been a myriad of other objects, but in this case only the remote control was hidden there. The joy was felt by the stranger realizing how like the princess and the pea, he had proven he was sensitive enough to realize when the bed was not made just out of mattresses.

Trying to eat healthy

Today I am trying to eat healthy and order a chef’s salad for lunch, it is all good and fine until they bring me the salad and it had half a pound of grated cheese on top of it. I did order for the dressing on the side, but come now, two handfuls of grated cheddar just because?

No wonder even if we are all aware of bad food we all are fat, cuz they keep giving us fat in our meals weather we want them or not. I am all for a little cheese on a salad, but literally there was enough cheese to make one very big quesadilla. Anyway, I dug the lettuce from underneath the cheese and ate the rest of salad, and picked at the cheese. The problem is two hours later I am hungry again!

It finally happened

After some time of really good luck traveling, last Thursday for the first time my flight was canceled and I had to stay over night in Greensboro, to wait for a flight to take me to the DC in the morning. This is a fact of life for us traveling consultants, it is difficult to swallow and a pain in the ass, but so far I had been lucky, last week I was not.

It all started with thunderstorms, which plague the East Coast, but the day here and in DC was ok, but of course it is between here and DC that the problem was. I got to the airport at 5:30 as usual and the flight as “on-time”, I was happy because some of the other flights had been canceled. At 6:20, the flight goes from “on-time” to canceled, with no explanation from the airline, I was fighting the desire to eat some donuts – the new temptation in the airport is the Dunkin Donuts shop. I walk to the booth, and they tell me they had to cancel it, because the 4:40 flight had not departed, so they were going to put us on that flight which was supposed to leave at 7:15. I crossed my fingers and went to the bar and had a G&T while we waited.

At 7:15 we walk up to the counter and we ask what time we would board, they said they had no idea, and told us to come back at 8. We went in search for something to eat, all we found was pizza and some sandwiches, and we chose the sandwiches and read for a bit. Finally at 8 they said we had not been given permission to leave the airport, and they would have an update at 9. Back to the Bar it was, where I had another G&T while watching the Galaxy play DC United, yep, at least I was reading “A woman of independent means”.

Again we go to the desk and they tell us that there is no update, that there will be an update at 10 pm. I am getting antsy, and I call the nearby airport Marriott to check if tey have rooms, they have, but if I make a reservation for the night I can not cancel, and would be charge the rate of $179. So I said thanks, but no thanks, will wait to make sure the flight is canceled. At this point the bar closed, so it’s me and the book in an airport where there was nothing else but disgruntled passengers.

This time at 10, I was seated by the information desk and they said they had no announcements, that they would have some decision made at 11 pm. At this point I was just tired and hungry. I told the attendant to book me on the morning flight just in case this was canceled. I called the hotel again to make sure they had free rooms, and waited. Finally at 10:45, they announce the flight is cancelled. My one grievous question is why not cancel it at 9 pm? DCA was closed, there was no point in keeping us waiting. Pfffff, anyway off to the hotel I went where I finally was able to fall asleep at 1 am and woke up at 5 to be at the airport at 5:30, to catch my 6:30 flight.

The joys of traveling …

104 degrees under the Sun

I know the heat wave is everywhere, and I feel for the people in DC, but here it is indeed 104 degrees today. It is crazy; I guess we call this phenomenon summer. Last night I drove to the hotel and had no energy, so went toe the puny little gym in the first floor and ran for 40 minutes, then went for dinner. But I had no energy for anything else. Also for the first time I used the AC in the room, and I stay at one of the most air-conditioned hotels I have ever stayed !!

How are y’all coping with the heat ?

Funny how

-> Even at 5:00 am it is hot and humid in Washington, while it storms.

-> Even if you are the only person in your team that flies in on Monday and then drives 1.5 hours, you are still the first person in the office at 8:45

-> Even if you packed the afternoon before, you forget the charger for the work laptop and realize it when you are setting up shop. Now I am afraid what else I forgot, hopefully not socks again.

-> The security line gets longer and longer every Monday, I am assuming it is summer and now there are more than just business travelers, but at 5 am on a week day?

-> Fifty percent of the passengers on my flight have preferred status.

-> In a city with hundreds if not thousands of cabbies, today I got picked for the third time by the same Armenian one.

-> In a city with a zone system I get charged a different amount for the exact same journey from home to the airport and airport to home each week. I am sure the people in accounting are wandering how the tariff fluctuates.

I.can.not.put.it.down

Last Thursday I got the new Harry Potter book, and I have not been able to put the book down ever since. I got real busy Friday and Saturday but Sunday, I sat most of the day reading, yes me the ever on the run Mexican, literally sat down after brunch and read for 3 hours or more. It helped that the Argentine had made brunch and I was reading next to me, but it has been one of the first times in a while that I have been able to just sit and read. It is a great book, of course if you have not read the previous books I would suggest starting with book 1 or book 3, there are parts you can always skip, but starting with book 4 you have to read them all to understand the many challenges Harry, Hermione and Ron are facing from page 1.

I am not planning on giving anything away, but I do believe that it is amazing how this tale of “the boy who lived” has taken over the world. The main reason is that it is a great story, with characters that are likable, no adorable and real, we call in some way identify with one/several of the characters. The adventures are interesting, of course there is a lot of belief in them, and sometimes the writing gets a wee-bit corny, but at least for me, when I sit down and start reading any of these books, time flies. I am transported to a different place and I can not get enough. I am purposely reading this book slowly, because I want to savor it, to enjoy every page and every description.

Yesterday, in the Charlotte airport, I stopped at a pen store to get some ink for my fountain pen –yes, stop rolling your eyes, you all know I am terrible snob and yes I love writing with a fountain pen. I asked for the ink cartridges, and I put the book on the counter. The lady in the store, showed the color of the inks they had and then asked if I was enjoying the book, I told her I was, and that I could not put it down. She have me the two boxes, and said I read it last week and finished it in 5 days.

So here is to Miss Rowling who has managed to put a spell on the world.

Notes on a Monday

Its 4:40 am and DC is hot and humid, it’s horrible. I can only begin to think how bad it is going to be later in the day.

I walk into the airport and see people, lots of people, sleeping on the ground wrapped in blue blankets. The storm probably stranded people. Five minutes after I got my boarding pass and walk to the security line, I see 500 people ahead of me. They all looked like refugees of some catastrophe or other. Only the business travelers (me included) were not wearing summer clothes, nor were we wearing the blue blankets as ponchos or “wraps”. The security line was so bad, where is the TSA when you need them that I got to my gate a minute before they stated boarding. Let’s just say I was starving all the way till the office.

In true DC fashion, John McCain was waiting next to me in the security line. Sans entourage, or luggage. He is much smaller than I thought, not that I can point fingers but …

Finished reading the book for book club, and I am still deciding whether I liked the book or not. Some of the themes it explored were very interesting, but it seemed to lack cohesiveness. For those that have read it, what do u think of “The Crying of Lot 49”?

Trying to decide on a good book to choose for the Month of October for book club , anyone out there has read anything worth reading and discussing ? Preferably shorter, ie no more than 300 pages. Let me know, cuz I am running out of ideas.

So far that has been my Monday

Harry Potter and the Wilkes Y

Tuesday night, well more like early evening I made myself go to the Y. There was nothing to do anyway, and the show I wanted to see, Damages, was not on until 10 pm. I left the office, went and had some horrible passport pictures taken, and finally the gym. I get on the elliptical and run for an hour – at this time I do realize that yes, GCC I should be lifting weights not just doing cardio, but at this time I am so out of shape I need to start somewhere – and I let me mind roam.
• There they are the cute little twinks – if they are straight are they twinks? – That think they rule the gym. Its cute they come in all shapes and sizes, there are the clean cut ones, and the tattooed all bad ass ones.
• There is the military guy
• Over there are the little girls, also knows and the groupies of the twinks, they are trying to use the machines, to not much success.
• Finally something that grabs my attention, this woman reading on the bike in front of me, it’s a big book – one of those hard covers with probably 800 pages – she is in page 253, I can see she is right in front of me. Then I see what king of typography it is, I also notice the yellow and red in the dust cover and realize she is reading “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”. Imagine that, someone reading J.K. Rowling in Wilkesboro, I mean this upright Christian town, some one is reading witchcraft in public. I took my headphones off and asked about the book, she has read all previous books and she was really enjoying this one. I asked for no spoilers, but felt so happy to have a token Potter spirit here.

Then my mind wandered off, again, thinking I should stretch and after 58 minutes I decided enough was enough. I went over to the free weight area and stretched for 10 minutes or so, and then skipped to the hotel, where I proceeded to eat dinner and knit my way through Damages. It is a good show, but I guess I will have to watch the next episode to see if I really like it.
How exciting is my life eh ?

My morning

Today the flight left 30 minutes late, and instead of a rant and a litany of complains and nonsense, I decided to take a picture, it was taken at 7:00 am somewhere between DC and Charlotte.

Today was a long day, and I was in a fowl mood, due to a person in the office who managed to single handedly send me to the hotel at 5 instead of 6, but there are days when all you can do i just go to your room, order sushi and watch Bravo and the Food Network to turn the brain off.

Post number 101

Ok, I know, I am lazy, but had some other pictures, from Amsterdam, that I wanted to share:

Post number 100

Some pretty pictures, since i am almost done with a document I am writting and have no energy to come up with something witty.

Forgetful Knitter

Last week I worked in DC, mostly because the 4^th fell on a Wednesday and it made no sense to come here for 3 days only, and because I was going to State College for the weekend. Friday morning, I had to go get some results from the Dr, and then go to the DMV and then pack for both trips. I thought I was being crafty and packing well in advance. I put everything for PA in one bag and everything for Wilkes, on my usual roller bag. So that is that, I go to State College, have a terrific time -see the Argentine’s blog for more details- and come back Sunday. We go to dinner, and a movie (Transformers, very enjoyable, very, a tad bit long, but cute) and go back home to pack up my laptops and the little things. I even manage to go to bed at 11, which gives me 5 hours of sleep.

Forward to Monday afternoon, when I check in to the hotel, and sushi in tow, I start unpacking and getting ready for my Monday routine of sushi, bad TV, and sleep. I finish dinner and start unpacking, everything looks good, pants, underwear, workout clothes, shoes, shirt, one polo … I mean 1 polo and 1 shirt, shit, I only packed 3 shirts, which means I have nothing to wear Thursday, and then I start looking for socks. They were no where to be found, no socks whatsoever. The worse part is I remember having them in my hand and putting them in the bag. Looked in the other compartments, nothing. Looked in the computer bag, nothing. I had forgotten them. So I go where I had never gone, Kohl’s and look for a shirt and socks. I just bought the later, I mean the shirts there were horrible and the smallest size was medium, and I am 5’3” people, no shirt in that store even remotely fit me, except as a sun dress. So went to the hotel, had a shirt washed and pressed and now I have 3 new pairs of navy socks, at least I managed to bring both my nave pants in this trip. Sheeeesh!!!

The flaps

Two weeks ago, I was flying back from Greensboro to DC, and in the middle of the flight a voice over the speaker said something about the plane being diverted to Dulles, that was the only intelligible part of the message, the rest was mumbling. I immediately perk up, I was finishing up the last book for book club and asked the person sitting in front if me if they had understood. They said they didn’t so I walk up to the stewardess and ask her, what was going on. She tells me there is a mechanical problem and that we are being taken to Dulles. Me, being me, instead of going quietly to my seat, I start asking why Dulles, the airports are 18 miles apart? Why not National, can’t they fix it there. Also I ask her who is paying for my cab to DC, I mean it is a 60 USD cab from Dulles to DC, not the usual 20 from National. She says she is not sure and that people will be there to help us. Well I almost through a hissy fit, and demand to talk to the pilot but then his voice comes over the speaker system and he tells us something about something not coming down, and that there would be some type of customer service waiting for us.

I storm back to my seat and one of my coworkers who was on the flight seats with me, and I ask him what the hell is the problem, and he tells me the flaps can not come down, and I have no clue what they are, so I just complain about having to take a cab, and being late for dinner and who is going to pay for the cab and all that. He stops me and explains how if the flaps do not come down we will not be able to land. Oh, shit! I think, not able to land, you mean they are going to keep us circling he sky until they work?. Anyway, we finally start out descent and I have talked to the stewardess again telling her I expect some help when we get to Dulles and sit and continue reading. Well the plain approaches the airport and we start to see the runway and the plane takes forever to land, I mean forever, it went for minutes on end. I even started to get worried, I mean, what if we do not make it, I started thinking, and we have been trying to land for 5 minutes now. Finally we bump 3 times and come to a stand still, and the fire trucks come to check the plain and it finally dawns on me that I am kind of lucky, to be there safe. So I shut up, until we get to the gate, and then I fight to get my luggage and be able to get on a cab … but that is another story.

Answer ...

The answer is ...

KIA Sportage or something like that !! The Cherry was right !

It was an ok drive, it felt like a Civic only a lil bit taller.

Guessing Game

NB. Have a better entry in mind, but no time to post it so here ya go ...

This week I am not sure what car I am driving, I know it is white; it is either a Suzuki or a KIA. It is one of those SUV type vehicles that is white, has beige interiors and it looks like a mix between a jeep and a sportier car. The radio is good, I was able to listen to NPR all the way from Charlotte without having to adjust the station, and it will be expensive, since the unlimited mileage is around 90, ugghhh. As you all know I fly in to one airport and fly out of another, so I take whatever car they can give in Charlotte and mae sure they change the contract to unlimited miles. Yes so is the excitement of my traveling life, anyone care to guess what kinda car I am driving ? I will post the answer tomarrow.

Nigella on the NYT

Every Wednesday I read the Food Section of the Gray Lady, its one of my addictions I have to confess, This week there is an article on the fashions of the women who cook in TV shows, exploring the trend to sexier clothes, and how it all got started by my crush, Nigella Lawson – yes I adore her, I think she is fabulous, absolutely fabulous. For once she speaks English well, her vocabulary has more than 50 words, and her recipes are easy and look yummy, and they seem to be something anyone could do – the house in Belgravia helps – but it is mostly the way she speaks and the way she expresses herself that makes her irresistible to me. She is the only show I would watch religiously from the food network or any of the style channels, unfortunately it is never on when I am home. She might even turn me straight – insert laugh track. Here are a couple of quotes from the article:

“The only small parts of me are my waist and my wrists,” she said. “I’m pretty bosomy with a very small waist, and if I wear something that’s not tight on the waist, I look like Mama Cass.” What she wore in real life, an outfit she calls “home-based,” translated brilliantly to television.

“The camera on television can’t distinguish between empty fabric and full fabric, and if you wear empty fabric, it looks very bulky,” she added. “The three-quarter length sleeve is more flattering to the wrist, and I don’t want sleeves in my food. And if you wear sleeveless after a certain age, you shouldn’t be beating eggs.”

You have to lover her, after a certain age, you should not be beating eggs in sleeveless shirts …

Death and the Roller Coaster

Last Sunday I had a panic attack. It was caused by a roller coaster, I know, me in an Attraction Park? You ask, well yes I went and as we entered the park everything was fine, some common friends of the Argentine and me, invited us and we tagged along. I had thought it will be a total change of pace and will be a break in the routine. So I said yes, knowing full well that I do not enjoy masses of people. The park was not very crowded and the weather was good (good – warm yet not overtly sunny), but as soon as the crew chose the first roller coaster I froze. I mean it, I froze. I saw the loops up in the air and the seats – one of those roller coasters where ur feet dangle – and I thought O.M.G. I am going to die. Seriously, that is what I thought. I tried to get out of it, and say I will wait for you here, but they would not hear a word of it. The Argentinean, told me to do it once, and if it was horrible I could pout the rest of the day. Of course my attack has just started, we made the line, and its was long, felt like we spent 45 minutes waiting, and everyone encouraged me and all, but I was just trying to breath in and breath out and the more I thought about, the more the fear latched on to me, and towards the end I even felt short of breath. It was like I was sure we were going to die, or become paralyzed, or have a terrible accident, or the ride would stop midway and we would spend 2 hours dangling from the thing in wait for rescue … the scenarios in my head where countless and all fatidic. Finally we get there, we are about to get on the little seats and I thought this is my chance I will just keep walking and no one will notice. But I realized I had promised I would try it once, and the Argentine was very sweet and told me that nothing was going to happen. Against all my survival instincts I sat down and strapped myself, and then I closed my eyes …
The ride starts with this extremely strong push forward (to generate the g’s needed to push the cars up and then around and around) and that was not scary, then we turned and went up, up, up and then I opened my eyes and yes my feet were dangling, but nothing felt wrong, it actually felt – can you keep a secret? – Good. The ride took us over 4 or 5 loops, around, up, down and sideways and you can see the park bellow you and it is so fast you can not really stop and think much. All of sudden it comes to an end, and we were down again, and I realized I had not lost limb or life. I – can you keep another secret? – had even enjoyed it.
From there we went on to 4 more roller coasters and I enjoyed them immensely, I even laughed specially in one that was inside, so you could not really tell what was coming next. All in all I had a great day in the park – I know some of you would not think I would enjoy it, but I did – it was very clean and the only bad part was the pizza we had in the beginning, yuck. Such a total waste of carbs, anyway, we made up by working on oatmeal cookies later that nite.

Am I a soccer gay ?

This week, I am driving a minivan, not just any minivan but a Dodge Caravan. I got into Charlotte and I say hi to my friend the driver of the Avis shuttle – we go way back, she reminds me of Miss Gay at the Hampton – anyway so she takes me to my spot and there it was a Minivan. I could not believe it; I know I am not a stellar driver but a minivan? I went into the office and they told me it was the only thing available if I was going to return the car in Greensboro. So I took it, what was I to do, take the broom and fly to Wilkesboro.
I got on board, and drove all the way, and have been driving the entire team to lunch every day this week, ohhh joy! I mean the car drives funny, it is different than driving a truck (I drove that Nitro remember), which was what I expected, almost like it has no suspension and I feel like I go in all directions as soon as the pavement is not smooth. Also I do not enjoy changing the wears with the handle next to the wheel – yes being terribly gay I am not sure what the name of that type of transmission is, I mean it is automatic but I am sure it has a special name. Finally there is no hand brake, and that I do not like, why? Do not ask, I just like knowing I have the break there.
I will return the car tomorrow, and have to fill her up, cuz I am not giving Avis any extra $ for the tank of gas, I used to take the gas option until I realized I was paying for an entire tank of gas even if I returned the car with half a tank. Of course this is the week where the ten commandments for drivers come out, and all, and I have been very careful, except when I forget to put the car on reverse and try to back out and things like that, but hey I am driving a minivan so I am sure other drivers just think, there goes another clueless soccer mom. Wrong! I am a useless gay driver, not a soccer mom.

Ten Commandments

The Vatican has seen my driving I am guessing, and they came up with driving's ten commandments. They are all kind of funny - I think - but here they are:

1. You shall not kill.
2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.
3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.
4. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.
5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.
6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.
7. Support the families of accident victims.
8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.
9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.
10. Feel responsible toward others.

Its not like one can disagree with any of them, but still when they are written and spelled out I can not help but chuckle. I know I am not a good driver, but c'on, I do not need 10 commandments do I ?

Pride weekend

This Saturday was Pride, and let me tell you it was exhausting. I have to thank a very special someone for putting up with me and all the craziness around the event. By the time the parade started I was feeling a little off and did not really enjoyed myself till the very last 30 minutes, for some reason, even the crowds and the day made no impact on me. On previous years there is always a sense of adrenaline going on, making me think yes I am out and freaking proud but not this year. It was enjoyable, do not get me wrong and lots of fun, but maybe because I was on edge I did not get to enjoy as much. Maybe because I was not carrying a water gun and ended up filling people’s gun and not really doing anything else.

Do not get me wrong, I had a great time and I think this year we made a real good job of generating a good idea and taking that idea into something that was doable. We managed to have pretty much everything ready the day before (a first) and the marching contingent looked unified and I am sure for a lot of people seeing men in Speedos was a great reprieve from all the other groups that march in over decorated S.U.V’s that truly scream everything but fabulous. Watching the groups that came after us, while we cleared the car and rested, I can not help but think, aren’t we supposed to be fabulous, aren’t we supposed to be the trend setters and makers, and then I look around the pride parade and it seems like the more garish and sad, the better. I do think that the parade and the festival need to be rethought, not sure what the answer is, but then again I am no friend of street festivals, so that part of the weekend will never be for me, I know there are people who manage to enjoy it – like the Diplomat – but not me, never have, maybe one of these days my opinion will change, but not any time soon.

The weird thing is I am not sure I should post this, it seems rather petty. Pride is great, one of the high holidays in the calendar. I always look forward to it, it marks the middle of the year and it is such a pagan day that it is great to enjoy. I already foresee some issues for next year, given its proximity to IGLA, not sure who will be able to put anything together, but like the Architect says that is in the pile of “Not my problem”, I am thinking that that is in the pile of “Not my problem, yet”.

Hopefully everyone else had a great time, and enjoyed the weather, Sunday was rather pretty and cool.

Book Review

Book Review

An idea occurred to me this weekend, we who read books need to start an itinerant library, there is no point in everyone buying books, but we can lend them to each other and that way we can all read different books and we can all save a little money. Sometimes I feel like I can not go into Kramer’s without purchasing one of such objects. The Argentinean even proposed to create a blog that basically encompasses book reviews, and the idea intrigues me. I can post about Paris and Amsterdam, but those entries would take way too much work and not sure I have the energy right now, later of course (yes skinny one, I know I am always promising posts), so I am tackling the book we discussed last Sunday, Mrs. Dalloway.

I approached this book with a little caution, I had never read any of her books, and was not sure what to expect. Like most people I had seen The Hours, so was curious to see if I could infer things from the movie that would help me read the book. I was disappointed when this was not the case. I skipped the introduction, one of the problems with reading one book every month, is you have to read it – yes I am the guilty one that tries to read them even if he dislikes them. Ok, so I started the book and I was familiar with the first line, so I followed the story, but then it changed, the narrator kept changing on me, and it took me like the first 30 pages to get used to it. But then I was fine, and by the time Peter comes to visit the morning of the party, I was able to identify the changes in narrator immediately and determine where the story was going next. My recommendation would be to skip the intro and just go for it, jump in and fight with her long sentences and her descriptions of things until you get the hang of the story and just keep at it.

The story is simple yet complicated, it is something we can all relate to because we all do some level of introspection, and we do not have the amount of time people had in the 20’s to just walk to the florist, but we still have 30 minutes here and there where we think of things, we need to do, of things we have not done, and of things that happened in the past and that still affect us to this date. The great thing about these exercises for me at least is that it gives you perspective, is shows how things that seemed so important were not and how little things ended up being what one keeps. Ok enough about me, the book surprised me because it was extremely pro British Empire, and how it went through all these characters cutting across the upper classes paying very little attention to the lower classes. I had thought she would be more of a socialist and a feminist than that. I can see how the book was and is revolutionary and how it is written with such craft that she keeps you reading even after she has cycled through similar descriptions over and over again, always through different perspectives. At the center of the book is a love triangle, that haunts its main characters through their lives, and this is a recurring theme in life and literature, but she manages to make it nuanced and interesting. Finally here are the things I would focus if I was to read the book again:
* The details about the park
* The lunch scene with Lady Bruton
* Elizabeth’s shopping scene
* Septimus appointment with Dr. Bradshaw

I know this post is a bit too long, but I would recommend anyone to read this book. The language will be a challenge (it was for me, but I am not a native speaker) but the story is beautifully told, its worth reading it for the sentences and the paragraphs alone. Also I like Clarissa, I like her a lot, so I guess I am biased because from the get go, when he is mending her dress for her party she had me.

PS. There is a new link on the right, y’all know who he is.

Trying not to abuse the Tylenol.

Morning, yes it has been a month, but half of that I was in Paris, France, Europe and Amsterdam, Netherlands, Europe, so I have a good excuse. Many adventures need to be told, many great pictures need to be shared. A great time was had by everyone, although I wish I had come home Saturday and not Sunday, because Monday at 9 am I took a flight to Greensboro to get back in to the flow of things at work, so lets just say that yesterday jetlag plus getting caught up in everything that happened and everything that needs to happen has taken its toll. My sleep pattern is a mess, I wake up at 3 am, and have trouble staying in bed till 6 or 6:30, one of my aids in this fight for sleep has been Tylenol pm, I took one Sunday, still nothing, I tossed and turned, mostly anxiety about getting back on a plane after spending 24 hours traveling the day before. Then Monday, I took 2 pills and slept from 9:30 to 6:30 and was pretty refreshed, but last night I decided that I had to do it on my own and of course I woke up at 3:30, I managed to sleep a little bit more, the hotel does not serve breakfast until 7 so its not like I was going to leave the hotel at 6 and go sit in my cube at 6:15, so I stayed put till 6 and then started the day.
The good news this week is that I ma driving a Mustang, it was partly my fault that I got such a butch car because I messed up my rental reservations, thinking I was flying into Charlotte and not Greensboro, so I asked for whatever they had and they had a Mustang. I took it; there was no other way for me to get into town otherwise. It is black and automatic and I feel like such a bad boy driving it, it is not even funny. It drives well, much better than the HHR I had before I left on vacation.
The bad news is that I forgot to bring my camera with me, so I have 300 pictures that need to be downloaded and edited and they are waiting for me in DC, instead of being here where I could work on them in the evenings. Oh well, I will have to post real posts to keep you entertained until I can post my pictures.

The convertible and the gay

Yes I am back … sorta. This week I traveled Sunday, because I needed to be here Monday morning and the best way to guarantee that is by getting here Sunday. I left DC at 7:30 pm, my flight was departing at 9:45 from Dulles. I drove like crazy to Dulles afraid of the security lines and all that, but I get there and there is no one in the airport I was even worried that there was an emergency and the airport was closed, but no. I passed security with my two laptops in tow. I get to one of the new wings at Dulles and wait and wait, and wait, and wait a little more. The flight finally leaves at 11:15 pm. We land in Greensboro ( I even changed airports this time, its all about exploring) at 12:15 or so, and I walk to the Avis counter, and as I ask for my car, and they give me a spot and the keys, and as I walk to the parking lot I realize that I did not know what Chrysler Sebring was, so I kept walking and to my surprise there it was a blue car, that was a Sebring, but even more surprisingly it was a convertible. I mean, I am gay, but a blue convertible is totally wasted on me. I open the trunk and see this weird contraption, so I put my bags in the back seat and start driving to Wilkesboro. The first thing I noticed is how freaking heavy the doors are, and how freaking hard it is to open and close the trunk. Ughh so much work.

The day after, I realize that the weird thing in the trunk is the space where the top goes. Still the doors are too heavy, when I complained the Argentinean was quick to point out that they make the body of convertibles heavier to make up for the lack of roof, and here I thought it was just a poor American design.

Its been 3 days with the car and I have not taken the top down, LOL, I guess only I get the joke, but I was planning on driving to Greensboro today with the top down weather permitting. I have not realized how to do it tho, but I am an engineer so I am sure I can figure it out. There is only one problem, today the Tyson’s Chicken plant decided to put all the chicken leftovers in the fields around town, and it stinks of dead chicken everywhere, and let me tell you its like walking in the fifth circle of hell. The smell of whatever the chickens leave behind is just nauseous. So no driving with the top down for me!

Finally I want to send all my best wishes to all the Mothers out there, in Mexico Mother’s Day is today, so to my Grandmother, to Mrs, Perfecta and to my Le Soccer Mum in Paris, who I will see very soon, all my love.

Wet and wild

Last weekend was wet and wild, and it was not just the weather, it rained, and rained and rained and rained in DC, causing all kinds of trouble. Pumps not working, basements flooded, streets closed, etc. It even affected my ride to the airport Monday morning when the cabbie had the nerve to give me a lecture on how much time to give myself to get the airport. I just sat there quietly, and then when he had dropped me at the airport, he started to get away with my bag in his trunk, so at 5 am I started cursing like a sailor, and almost took his cab fair money from him. So angry I was that I walked into the airport, registered for the flight and stomped to the gate without even saying hello to anyone.

Well back the weekend, so I went to my first real straight meet, it sound weird I know, but in 4 years of swimming I have always gone to the gay meets and UMBC, but never the big competitive straight meets. So I went to Colonies Zone, and it was fun, it was different, for once there was no food, so I have to thank the Argentine for packing me some gels, cliff bars and a sandwich. At gay meets there is food, we try to be friendly I guess, or we try to make everyone fat to make ourselves feel less bad about our bodies. Who knows, so at this meet there was nothing but bending machines, and I am usually terrible at carrying cash, so I had to stick to my two bottles of water. That is my big complain, that and the fact that we were the only team who cheered, but I am getting used to that with time.

As usual I swam free and fly, and I did ok. I mean I could go on, and on about how bad I am, and how slow, and how I do not seem to make any progress. But I have to be honest:
a) I am not a born athlete
b) I am 5’3”
c) I have maybe swam 5 times in the last 4 weeks
So all this means that I was not in perfect shape and I did my events ok, I guess. I had a very good 200 free for me, at least 2:35, and a bad 200 fly. The irony is that the only medal I got was for the 200 fly, a bronze. I did a lot of relays, and had a lot of fun. It was a sobering meet I think, because it showed me what real swimmers are. One guy did the 200 free in 1:40, I mean that is my base time for the 100 in long distance events. It was just amazing to see people like this swim. On of the more humbling moments for me, was at a relay, we had two teams in the same heat and we were swimming in lanes next to each other. I was doing the last 100 free, and I had plenty of time, turned to my right and my ageless neighbor was going to swim the same, for the other relay, he is 10 times faster than me. I realized that because of the rest of the people I would hit the water at least 10 seconds before he did, and I thought this is my chance to not be wiped out. Well I am 5’3” and not a sprinter and he is 6’1” and a sprinter, so I jump in and swim, and try to go as fast as I can, and there I am moving my legs as fast as I can, and trying to elongate my stroke, and as I do my third flip turn I just see him coming and I just knew he is going to overtake me, but I thought I had a chance, so closed my eyes and swam, as fast as I could. I came close the wall, as I touched the pad, I noticed him waiting for me in the lane next to me. Dang! At least I have the 1650 I guess, that is until the Canuck becomes too fast, which he already has.

Me and my Nitro

Yes it has been a while, but life has gotten busy, just busy. Also the traveling gets old and there is just not a lot to tell. Lunch at Ruby Tuesday’s, sushi for dinner, I am still the only man in the Chisel class. Same old, same old. This week something is different though, I have been driving a NITRO, yes it is the boxy car, and it is weird to drive, I feel like I am omnipotent, driving so high above the ground being able to bully all the little cars around me. Also I am afraid I will miss something and suddenly go boink!, and hit a tree or a car or a passerby or something that I was not able to observe. One of the funny things about renting a car every week is that in a way it is like a game, and you get what you get. Usually I get economy cars, mostly because I am cheap and I do not need that much space. It is me, my rolling bag, my knitting bag and office backpack. Now that I put it in paper, it does seem like a lot of luggage for a 4 day trip, and the sad part is the only thing I do not need is the knitting bag, because the rest I need.

The car is great, the NITRO I mean. I is big and I can accommodate a lot in it, mostly people going to lunch, but I do feel like an OC wife running errands all alone in a big SUV when I am driving alone back to the hotel or to the Y. The one humiliating part of it all is that when I got it, I get in and the seat was pushed way back, like they were expecting a guy 6’2” tall to just come in and drive into the sunset (sunrise, I guess since it was 7 am). Well I sit down and realize I am way to short to get to the gas pedal, and I start searching for the lever to move the seat forward, and I can not find it. All I see is a button that moved the seat up and down but nothing to move it in the other directions. I step down of the car and look, I see nothing, I go and take a look at the copilot’s seat and see nothing. Nothing. I think, and think, and think a little more. The car has no manual, the glove box is empty. I am going crazy now, I have spent 10 minutes looking for a way to move the sit so I can drive out of the parking lot. I am pissed now, and at the same time I can not contain the laughter. So finally I decide to ask. I get on the truck and drive to the entry, looking like a 10 year old driving their parent’s car, and when the guard checks my driver’s license and the contract I cleared my thought and asked if he knew how to move the seat. So he makes this face, like he did not know, and I thought, shit, shit I am going to have to drive like this all the way to Wilkesboro, but not, he told me to step down and shows me how the button that moves the seat up and down, also goes sideways. I do my little gay laugh, and thank the parking attendant, hop in my truck, put my shades on and drive to Wilkesboro without having to strain my back.

Cautionary tale

Road warriors out there, be careful, take heed and listen to this story, because last Monday I saw the future and let me tell you it is not pretty, or enticing or anything. I t was scary and realizing how easily it could happen to anyone I have decided to tell you about it so y’all take your provisions and stay alert.
Here is the story, I am walking into the hotel and had to ask for some water. Stopped at the Front Desk, at the hotel they know my name; they call be Pablo, not Bobby. But there was a lady waiting, she was tall and thin, blonde (artificially blonde) and she had the accoutrements of a seasoned traveling consultant. The nice bag, the expensive rolling Tummi bag, she had her rental car keys and her wallet. She was just checking in. The guy in the Desk was real friendly and told her that he had gotten her the same room as always and that it was all set. She smiled, and looked content, introduced herself to me, I forget her name, but I did notice the tan and the wrinkles. This was no spring chicken, and she looked a little overdone, if you ask me, but she had a pleasant smile and nice bright blue eyes. We talked for a bit, and then it was my turn to get my water, I ask for it, and I then notice he had some grocery bags with her. The rooms have a fridge and a microwave, so I decided to peak. She had some frozen dinners (yuck), cereal and cookies, some toiletries and finally there was one bag that just stood out from the rest, as she grab them and started walking toward the elevator, one bag has a 12 pack of Coors Light.
This was a Monday which means that she had picked up 12 beers for maybe 3 nights. Imagine that. I can not, but I am not a beer drinker, not at all. Of course as soon as she left and I got my water I had images of a hotel room littered with beer cans, and thought what will the cleaning lady think? I guess she doesn’t care. Nor should I, but please, please, please if anyone ever seems me get a 12 pack of beer to get through the week, just stop me right there in my tracks.
May this serve as a notice to all.

Where no gay cowboy has gone before

Last night, I was going to swim at the Y, but I was tired, and thought, what the hell, I can not swim every day. So I worked a little bit later – 6:30 – and then decided to try out the sushi joint in town. I left the office and drove the Red Carpet Inn, an internationally well known chain of establishments that in the case of the Wilkesboro it comes with a Japanese Steakhouse in the premises. I got there at 6:40, the place was empty. I am not sure what the local was empty and like a set out of Golden Girls, ugly dolls in the corners, ugly drawings hung from the walls, and rattan furniture stained a dark brown color made up the décor. The bar was a tiki bar, with Japanese accessories, and the barwoman and sushi person was oriental for sure, but where I can not tell you. Her accent, being a mix of southern drawl and Margaret Cho’s mother gave no clue. She was fast, and she looked like she had managed the place for years and the two clueless white waitresses where no use. They could not even be bothered with either my order or me paying for the food. But eventually, 20 minutes later, I got my sushi and went to my hotel room and had it in peace and quiet. It was good, not out of the world good, but good and I am still here to blog about it so I guess it was clean enough.
So that was my tale of branching out for food in this town, everything else involved fries or ranch dressing and sometimes I am just not in the mood for another salad with dressing on the side, the looks I get are priceless. No cute stories about Walmart or anything this week though. I have been working away and getting so used to the surroundings that I do not see them as exotic or anything like that. Maybe I am becoming Bobby.

Things I have learned so far

• Breakfast means sugar in the heartland, sugar and flour, with protein only in the form of bacon
• Things are not that bad in DC, here everything closes early except fast food.
• Always stock up in power bars, always, because when you do not feel like picking up a salad at Wendy’s a protein bar does the trick.
• HBO is your friend.
• Humidifiers should be mandatory in small town hotels.
• If you are traveling with lube, make sure you put it in a zip lock bag, otherwise it might spill.
• When traveling with two laptops. Put on in the bag you are checking and pray, otherwise you will be juggling laptops, shoes, bags, needles, yarn, book, the New Yorker and boarding pass during security.
• Choose one color of dress shoes, so that you can carry sneakers and flip-flops. This week it is black.
• Whales attack their would be saviors.

Like a Virgin,

Last Monday I crossed a pair of doors I had never crossed. Call me a princess or spoiled or what not, but I had never needed to go there, there was never one around and I was always able to live without one in my life. I knew they existed and have even studied it for school and work, but just had never had a reason to go and see it. Of course the new assignment changed everything, and finally last Monday I went into a Wal-Mart store for the first time.
*gasp*
I had left work, and I needed tooth paste and moisturizer and some other random things, like a bottle for water and a notebook. I had seen it on my way to lunch and after paying a visit to a grocery store I and getting nothing, because I realized that having groceries at the hotel would be a waste of time and money, I went into Wal-Mart. I was surprised, I was expecting a massive store – this one was not – with many products and lots of people. This one was not particularly crowded and the shelves were not stock. It looked like a run down Target, with bad service and nothing to sell. It also looked very dumpy compared to the Targays I have been in, in DC, really dumpy, like it sells merchandise that is 5 years too old. The shock of the evening came when as I was walking past the electronics and bam, there just next to the sporting stuff, rifles and weapons in general. I probably jumped three feet, clutching my basket thinking, those had to be toys. Then thinking again, and realizing they were guns, real guns. And of course there was people at the counter and bless their hearts they prolly got a good deal in the amo they were buying but still. So I saw that and I went straight to the registry and checked out.

Notes from the first day

Sunday, 10:00 pm, Atlanta International Airport, yes dear readers this is as close to the real thing as it is going to get for the first week, since I am not sure the extent of my internet access at work. Today is my first day as a “road warrior”, One of those nerds with a laptop in a gate waiting for a plane. I am tired because of the meet and even if I am satisfied with my results – more on this later – I still wanted a better meet, in any case I got what I got and I managed to swim a ton, but I am paying for it now, when I have another two hours of waiting before getting to Charlotte and then a 1 hr drive to my final destination. I might just stay the night in Charlotte and then drive off in the morning, but we shall see how I feel when I get there.
The airport is packed; I was expecting an empty place, but no. Families, members of the military, people traveling alone and people in packs milling around the terminal. All the stores are open, and there are many, many fast food restaurants to choose from and TV’s everywhere all over the place. Its like CNN has me on its grasp and will not let me leave. The stories are inane, more on the Ana Nicole burial, something about someone giving toddlers pot to smoke and some missing person somewhere. Ohh and just right now Ann Coulter called John Edwards a faggot or something like that. Sheeesh, well I am out, I tried to connect to the wireless network here but it costs $4.95 to get on, and I do not think that this post is worth that much, so will try and post when I get to Charlotte or Wilkesboro.

Ok, so this post was written before I arrived here, I drove 1.5 hours and got in really late as you all know from the previous post, but I did it. The office is interesting, the team is fun and the environment is very positive – not something this jaded queen is used to. So far so good, I am sure I will be a bit bored after 3 days, but for instance yesterday I read 100 pages of the book we are reading just on the plain, and now I have 150 more to go. I also did a bit of knitting, but the flights were crowded and it was hard to do.

The first day is hard, it has been hard, I am sleepy and tired and getting used to the new environment and at a loss for words or things to do. I will stay at the office until 6, and then what ? I need to sleep, so I am going to go grocery shopping and then go check the Y, and then I am not sure. That is it for now, will post some more later this week.

Ohhh, and Happy belated b’day skinny !!!

Competition

It is very rare that I enjoy an athletic competition. I have never been an athlete, or even coordinated enough to be considered athletic, but last weekend I went on my first meet of the year. It was in Baltimore, not Baltimore, Catonsville, in Maryland and I had a great time. It was a short and sweet meet, lasted 5 hours each day and even though the ride was long, we all managed to have a great time. In my case, I swam 11 events, and that is a ton, really, not to boast or anything but I swam:
200 free
200 fly
50 free
100 free
50 fly  on a relay
800 free
500 free
100 fly
50 free  on a relay
50 fly  for a relay
1650  free

It was a lot of swimming, and it was not fast, but Sunday as I went up the stairs of Lauriol plaza for lunch, my legs felt wobbly, like I was barely able to walk. But for once the satisfaction was there, I definitely need to improve my times, and better yet I need to find one event I will try to do really well, because some of them were back to back, and so I did well in the 200 fly but terrible in the 50 free, terrible. Also in a short meet like this, I had some good times in the relays that I am not sure of, because no one pays attention to those and they are 50’s anyway. But most importantly for the first time in my swimming career – I guess I can call it that – I went to a meet and it made me look forward to the next one. In the years before I would go to a meet and be so happy when it was over, it was stressful and difficult for me, but this time it wasn’t. I know everyone and was able to focus on some different events – 200 fly here I come – and really relished in the competition part even if I did not win anything. So there ya go, something might be changing in me, or I am just getting better at swimming. Yay for me! Now I do need to work on my times though, because even if I padded some of my seed times a little, I need to start putting down more realistic times in the future

Finally here

I am here, after a 1.5 hour drive from Charlotte, btw, why is Charlotte called Charlotte, any one knows ? Anyway its almost 3 and I need to be at work at 8:30, so need to get to bed, I have some important news do:

I …
found …

Fear

This Sunday, yours truly will travel to North Carolina to start a new chapter in the laboral life – is that the right term in English, I am not sure. Yesterday as I was wrapping things up and seeing how there is a lot that I need to get done today, I suffered and anxiety attack as I was driving back to the gym. Many things went through my head, all of them at the same time, here is a glimpse:

• I am not bright enough and I will stink at the new project
• I will eat like a hog and become the Michelin man
• I will not be able to deal with the travel back and forth
• I will hate the people there and shut down slowly but surely
• I will miss all this things happening in DC and will be slowly forgotten

I know I am an idiot for thinking all these, but when you are home, tired after a long week and the only thing on TV is an old rerun of Ugly Betty, you mind can spin out of control. I did what any self respecting fag would do, had some chocolate, took 2 Tylenol PM’s, read for 30 minutes and was asleep at 10 pm.

Today the sun is out there, and I am feeling better, getting things done – as much as I can. Even planning on getting myself a new personal laptop for personal uses in my travels.