Saturday, March 31, 2001
March 2001
1 Mar 2001
Running, running, running
This week has been VERY fast-paced. I've gone from "lazy Bill" to "crazy Bill" in a matter of a day or two. However, I managed to get (almost) everything done before classes tonight. And I managed to stop off and see Nick at school before going to class, so that makes it a good day by anybody's definition.
We had some goomba come talk to my Ethics class tonight. One of his handouts discussed "The Liberal Dilemma" but he explained that he didn't mean "liberal" in a perjorative sense. EXCUSE me???? Since when is "liberal," as a political term, a bad thing to call someone? Since when is it offensive? That was one of the first things he said, and it really turned me off to the rest of his presentation. I realize people have biases, hell I do to, but DON'T piss off members of your audience right off the bat. And just because you're conservative doesn't have to mean you're a dick. Where did they find this guy?
One thing I realized in my Wednesday night class: if I ever feel like I'm not "getting it" in this program, like I'm not advancing along with my peers, all I have to do is look at the master's degree students in my classes. I'm not putting them down or anything, because I was once in their shoes, doing and saying the same things as them. And it's obvious I'm come far since those days. Of course, those days were about 8 years ago.
There are few things more difficult for me than to sit and watch someone give a presentation when they have no clue how to be an effective public speaker. I realize that I was lucky in preparing myself: I was on the debate team in high school, and took undergrad and master's courses that gave me lots of practice speaking. Of course, 4 years of teaching helped, too. But it was painful Wednesday night to watch some of the paper proposals that people were giving. I couldn't even look at some of them 'cuz I just felt so bad for them. It was obvious that a few of them were absolutely terrified. Poor saps. Don't they know it's just going to get worse if they don't start practicing? Anyone who's reading this thinking Gee, I'm not comfortable speaking in public either should seriously consider getting comfortable with it. An inability to get up in front of people and give a presentation is going to seriously limit you later on. Unless you're planning a career as an accountant. Because nobody wants to talk to accountants anyway.
My friend Douglas wrote that he doesn't really like the new photo on the title page of my website. Any other thoughts out there?
I am a tired, tired puppy dog tonight. I'm going to do some packing and take care of a couple things here, then go to bed. Friday I have to finish packing, finish up some details here, have lunch with Adrian, then go to the airport. I hope I have time to go to the gym. I had McDonalds tonight. Bad Bill...needs a spanking.
2 Mar 2001
Here we go
The bags are packed.
The bills are paid.
The dishes are washed.
The coffee pot is unplugged (I think).
That's it...it's time to go to London!!
3 Mar 2001
London, 3 Mar, 2:12pm
OK, Diary-x puts the diary time in Eastern Time, so my titles will be in British time. Just because.
Anyway, I made it here to London this morning. The pilot said it was snowing for 3 hours before we landed but it's a clear, beautiful day here now. OK, it's colder than I normally like it, and the breeze blowing up my pants leg caused certain body parts to get a lot smaller, but otherwise it's fine. Since I couldn't check into my hotel right away I took the Tube to check out a big outdoor market and then went to SoHo to look around a bit. There are a couple shows in the West End I'd like to see while I'm here, so that may work out. All in all, look like a good start to the trip.
I have to say, though, that a few folks on the flight gave new meaning to the term "ugly American." I almost felt like I should apologize to the British immigration guy for being on the same plane with them. =) And there was ONE cute guy flight attendant on my plane, and naturally, he was working the other side of the cabin. sigh.
That's all for now. More to follow as soon as something happens. And now, I can go check into my hotel. And I will. 'cuz I am one tired puppy dog.
4 Mar 2001
London, 4 Mar, 10:30pm
I think I'm finally beating the jet lag. I fought a losing battle with the snooze button this morning, but finally beat it around 11:30. It's still a little chilly here but I managed to get out and see Shakespeare's Globe Theater, among other things, and have dinner tonight in a cool little place in Chinatown.
And if anyone heard about a car-bomb-threat at Victoria Station this afternoon, don't worry about me, I had evacuated the station and was at least 100 yards away when I heard something blow up. I guess the cops blew up what they thought was a bomb; I haven't heard yet if it was or not.
Saturday night I hit a club called Heaven, which is huge, bigger than anything in DC. Last year I went there on my first night and had fun, but was pretty much on my own for the whole night. This year, though, was a different story. I met a really nice guy about 15 minutes after getting in there, and we ended up hanging out all night. He introduced me to his friends and we went between the three different bars there, with great music in all three. He was very cool, 30, extremely friendly, and just finished his PhD last week. It's nice to see that people DO finish their doctorates; it gives me hope!!! He went to school in Liverpool, though his friends are from here, and they included a doctor, a master's student, and other such folk.
Question: why don't people like ths go out in DC? I mean, there are some very fun people who go to the clubs, but why is it that so many people in that city don't seem to like to go out, almost as if they're too good to go to clubs or they'd rather just stay home watching TV? It's not just an American thing; Atlanta and New York clubs are full of older people with advanced degrees or who are in the professions, or otherwise full of ambition. Why is DC so different?
More of my anthropological ramblings as they occur to me...
7 Mar 2001
Paris, 7 March, 9:30pm
Yes, that's right...Paris.
There's been a minor change in plans.
At the last minute (well, technically, at the 45th-to-last minute) I decided to spend Tuesday through Thursday in Paris instead of Glasgow, Scotland.
Why?
Could it be the fact that London is currently under IRA Alert?
No, though there was a bombing outside the BBC building about 12:30am Sunday. The pix in the paper were very impressive. I was at Victoria Station Sunday afternoon when there was a bomb scare there. The explosion I heard turned out not to be a bomb; it was the police robot firing a round into a van to open it up and take a look at the suspected bomb inside. Man, talk about your bad penalties for parking in a No Parking zone. These folks do take counterterrorism seriously, and for very good reason, as demonstrated the other night. Now I know why the Tube is so dirty; they took out all the trash cans because the IRA used to put bombs in them.
Could it be because blokes kept trying to put their hands down my knickers while dancing?
No, but it COULD be because I know I've been in the UK long enough when I start using words like "blokes" and "knickers." It was weird; Monday night I met 2 guys at the Pink Pounder (it's gay, it costs a pound; get it?) who tried to grope me. One had the hots for me, and his friend said they were looking for someone he could shag. I let him know that someone wasn't going to be me, but that didn't stop him from trying to cop a feel, just so he "had something to remember the night by." Whatever; get away. Then another guy, pretty cute, with whom I'd been dancing for all of two minutes tries to put his hand down my pants and asks, "should we go back to your place?" Um, no.
I came to Paris because 4 people suggested it this week, and I am grateful to them. Today I saw many of the cool tourist things you're supposed to see, and Thursday I'm going to the Louvre before going back to London in the evening. French boys are kinda cute, but not too friendly. And I had trouble last night finding a dance club (though the fact that it was a Tuesday might've had something to do with that).
So this has been an adventure. I was literally on my way to the Glasgow train when I decided to pop into a student travel centre and see what a ticket on Eurostar would cost. It was incredibly cheap for a student. So I booked a seat and had 45 minutes to get online, cancel my Glasgow hotel, get to Waterloo Station, fix up my new student ID, and get on the train. I bought a Paris guidebook as I was running for the train. Once here I figured out the Metro, got some cash, and found a hotel (in the gay district, no less). And it's been cool ever since.
Remember: it's adventures that keep you young.
8 Mar 2001
London, 8 March, 9:51pm
OK, so, I'm back in London. And naturally, I returned to Waterloo Station just in time for another IRA bomb scare. Those guys are getting annoying.
Paris was very cool. I'm not sure about the Parisians themselves, but Paris was definitely fun to visit. I'm so glad I decided to jump on that train! On Wednesday I visited the Eiffel Tower (with an INCREDIBLE view of the city!), the Arc de Triomphe, and Notre Dame Cathedral. Thursday, River and his roommate were in town (got in from Amsterdam Wednesday night) so River and I went to the Louvre and had lunch before I had to catch the Eurostar back to London at 4pm. I was glad when the trip was over; I was sitting next to a really bad episode of "Sex in the City: The College Years," three American female-type students who would not shut up with their inane chatter about nothing. The bomb threat was a welcome relief.
I didn't really go clubbing in Paris. Tuesday night I visited some bars near my hotel, but they were "stand and model" bars, and I wasn't too into any of the models there. Wednesday night River and I were playing phone tag, and I was beat anyway, so I didn't feel like heading out to the club on the Champs Elysee, especially since I knew I'd be going out Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights in London. Believe me, that'll be enough.
And to be honest, it would help to speak the language if I'm going to a club by myself. One more reason I really like London. In fact, pulling into the station today felt like coming home. For the first time ever, I really feel i could live in London. I really, really like this place.
That's all for now. Gotta go get ready to go out. Cheers!
9 Mar 2001
London, 9 March, 9:59pm
Just a quick entry before going down to SoHo. I'm not going dancing tonight; though "Camp Attack" at G-A-Y was a very fun party when I went last year, I was dancing until 4am today, and I had to get up before 8 to go get a ticket for a show tonight. And Saturday, I'm getting up kinda early to catch a train and go visit the town of Bristol, before returning to the States on Sunday. So, I could use some beauty sleep tonight, and thus will merely be strolling around the crowds.
But I did manage to accomplish something I couldn't do last year: I got to see Mamma Mia. This is a musical that incorporates the music of ABBA. Yes, ABBA. There are 22 ABBA songs in it, and the story was written around them. It was pretty fun; the acting was a bit over the top, but then again, so was ABBA. And it was fun to see how they wrote the transitions from dialogue into song. It's a romantic comedy, somewhat topsy-turvy as Gilbert and Sullivan might say. The acting was not the absolute greatest, some of the dialogue was a bit stilted, but it was a fun night. When I was here last year I stood in line 4 nights trying to get a ticket, to no avail; it was the top show in London. But it's dropped to number 2, and by sneaking over to the box office as soon as they opened today, I was able to snag a 7th-row seat that someone had cancelled. Yay for 7th-row seats!
The show is currently touring in America, and the plan was to go see it for Tracy's birthday when it hit DC in July. But it's already been delayed in DC because it's being extended on the west coast. I might graduate and move before it comes to Washington, so I thought I should see it now.
OK, maybe it helps to be a child of the 70s in order to fully appreciate this show. But even if you weren't sentient in the 70s (and frankly, not too many people were) you'd probably have a good time.
OK, that's it...time to go see what kind of trouble I can stay out of. :P
(Oh, and I missed another bomb scare by 5 minutes today. I've been studying terrorism for a few years now, but it's interesting to see the effects up close and personal.)
10 Mar 2001
London, 10 March, 9:40pm
I just had a VERY interesting day.
This morning I caught a train to Bristol, which is a university town a couple hours west of here. In Bristol, I met up with a fellow named Fabian. Fabulous Fabian and I have been reading each other's journals and corresponding over the last few months, and today we overcame a few thousand miles difference and met face to face.
Fabes is a wonderful guy, as I knew he would be from reading his thoughts since last year. (hmmm, that makes me sound like a psychic...well, maybe I am...I mean, how would YOU know?) We spent the afternoon hanging out and talking. He showed me his school, his neighborhood, and some of his favorite haunts, which is great since now I can picture these places when he talks about them (literally picture them in some cases, as I made sure to snap a photo of one particularly important spot). He also took me to a shop where I could buy some of the fabulous flares he was wearing, so that once again I will be on the cutting edge of fashion in America (meaning I'll be wearing these NOW,and I'll probably stop about the same time they hit the US).
What a great day. I was in town about seven hours and we spent the whole time talking, getting to know each other better than we could off of a computer screen. I was pleased that he was willing to meet me; after all, not everyone would meet up with someone from overseas that they've only known online.
However, this should serve as a warning to other folks: I don't get to know people well and open up to them through the Net unless I expect to meet them for real some day. So whether you live in Texas or Quebec, Singapore or British Columbia, or some other spot in between, if you and I have been getting to know each other well, chances are I'll be in your neighborhood some day and would enjoy the chance to sit down over a cup of coffee and chat.
So, today was wonderful. Fabulous Fabian was all I thought he'd be and more. (and yes, Fabes, you're a cutie...there, I know you were looking for that [grin]). Seriously, it's so nice to know the 3-dimensional person behind the 2-dimensional screen. It just goes to show that the Net isn't an end unto itself; it's merely a tool that really can bring people together in ways they never would have before. Just ask Mirza and Peter about that...ahh, but that's a story for another time...
Heading back to the States on Sunday. Looking forward to seeing Adrian; I've missed that guy! Oh, yeah, and Andy, Tracy, Michael, Steve, Kenneth, River (who I don't miss TOO much, since I saw him in Paris!) and everyone else; boy, wouldn't it be a fun trip if we could ALL come over here sometime?
But do you think the UK could really handle that?
11 Mar 2001
London, 11 March, 12:01pm
Headed home.
Last night was odd, but fun. Went to G-A-Y to see a group called Hear'say, which is a "Making the Band" kind of thing: a singing group forming on the TV series "Popstars." Last night was their first public performance, and it was at a gay club; cool, eh? (and being filmed for the show, I should add)
But I didn't get to see them; the queue was too long and the club filled before I got in. We had to wait for the show to end to get in and dance. I probably would've given up but I met three great guys: Chris, Undi (I know I'm spelling that wrong, but you get the idea) and Phill. Chris was the only gay one in the group and it was nice to go dancing without having the pressure of some guy coming onto me strong. Actually, I had a girl proposition me; imagine that. I was really impressed by Phill, he had a guy hit on him and try to kiss him, but Phill handled it very well and without hurting the guy's feelings. Nice; most straight guys I know aren't so polite.
So, I got home at 5, went straight to bed, and now am off to the airport. What a great trip this has been. Precisely what I needed. It'll be interesting to go back and review the journal entries of the last week.
OK, this is Bill signing off from London. Cheers!!!
12 Mar 2001
Tired puppy
Made it back okay. And the jet lag is hitting hard.
Adrian picked me up at the airport last night (what a sweetie) and stayed over. It was definitely nice to cuddle up!
I went downtown to have lunch with Tracy and went by the salon to see Adrian at work. I ended up staying until they closed, and even helped out a bit when they got really busy (don't worry, I was just answering the phone, not cutting hair!!). He then dropped me off on the way home.
Tonight I made a couple calls to get caught up with folks but I am so tired I think I need to get to bed, to try to get my body back on schedule. And so, this will be a short entry. Nighty nite!
13 Mar 2001
Jet lag blows
I really need for my body clock to get back on track. I start feeling a little weird around midday, like I can't concentrate, then I'm really, really tired by 9, and feeling quite strange by 10.
Not that this is much different from my normal day.
But at least today I managed to get a bunch of schoolwork done. Most importantly, I finished up a United Nations training course that we have to do for one of my classes. Well, perhaps even more importantly than that, I did laundry today.
I suppose, if I run out of clothes, I could do like Adrian does -- Monday he wore one of my shirts to work. Of course, he had to go into the "small" end of the closet. But damn, he looked good.
Tonight I went and saw Kenneth at the coffee shop and ended up there for 2 hours, not getting any reading done but just generally having a good time. Kenneth got cast for a part in an upcoming play! That's 2 so far this year, and it's only March!! While he was working I spent some time talking with a couple friends of his. Every now and then you need to sit down and have coffee with a couple high school seniors just to get their take on the world.
Adrian called as I was getting home. He had bought me a present and was on his way over with it. He and his brother showed up and we went out for dessert. He had gotten me a teddy bear at a store where you make them yourself ("Build-A-Bear," I believe it's called). The bear's name is Adrian (though he's a little darker than the REAL Adrian), he's wearing a University of Virginia t-shirt (both Adrian and I went there) and he's got a cute little trick bag on his back with tiny books about wine and chocolate. How cute is that???? Anyway, I know who I'm cuddling up with tonight!
Speaking of which, it is bedtime for me. Laterz!
14 Mar 2001
yawn
OK, first of all: my e-mail is down. Verizon has been having serious problems for a couple days, perhaps because they are incompetent buffoons. Or perhaps for other reasons. And I can't get my web host to stop forwarding mail to my Verizon account. Perhaps because my host is run by buffoons as well. Who knows?
Anyone who has sent me e-mail in the last couple of days, please note that I haven't received any of it, so please resend to my backup account. I'm sure there are at least 30 or 40 of you who have sent me mail.
Well, maybe 1 or 2.
This morning I got an e-mail from someone in one of my Thursday classes. He just wanted to get my feedback on his notes for tomorrow's class, since we're supposed to come in prepared to discuss a case we reviewed in class two weeks ago.
Uh oh.
I totally forgot about it. So I think I will be spending Thursday morning reviewing my notes on the case and coming up with something witty and urbane to say about it. Maybe I could just use words like "witty" and "urbane."
Of course, on Thursday afternoon I will be watching the Virginia Cavaliers in the first round of the NCAA basketball tournament. They are playing against Gonzaga University. I once met a guy who went to law school at Gonzaga. It turned out that he used a lot of drugs. Maybe everyone at Gonzaga uses a lot of drugs. And then their basketball team would suck. And we would win.
Hey, you can always hope.
17 Mar 2001
A little catching up to do
The last couple of days have been a mix of frenzied bursts of activity and mind-numbing exhaustion. Let's see if we can make sense of it all, eh? (I threw in that "eh?" for the benefit of my Canadian friends.)
(warning: I just finished this entry, and it's a LONG one, so I came back to the top to let you know you should probably go to the bathroom now, 'cuz there are no breaks later)
First of all:
I THINK my website e-mail is working again. Between problems at Verizon and some technical difficulties with my web host, I've pretty much been without it since Tuesday. Unfortunately, anyone sending me e-mail has gotten an "Undeliverable Message" response, so not only do friends think I hate them, and potential new friends think I don't want to talk to them, but I've probably missed out on some cool thoughts. So, if anyone DID e-mail me this week but didn't get through, PLEASE resend your message. And if folks could send me a note through the link below, just so I can tell if my mail is working or not, that would be great.
Well, what have I learned in the last couple days? First, I learned that, despite:
* 13 years of elementary and secondary education
* 4 years of undergraduate education
* 2 years spent on a master's degree
* 1 1/2 years (so far) on my PhD
I still can't read. The UVA basketball game that I was so excited about watching on Thursday was actually on Friday. I had planned my day, my homework, my time-to-drive-to-school around Virginia's first-round play in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. Too bad it was the next day. Alas, they lost anyway, by one point at the last second. Of course, if you think about it, one team or the other loses EVERY game at the last second.
The team was playing like a bunch of nuns with leprosy, compared to other games they've played this season. Oh, well, at least they had a good year, being ranked in the Top 15 most of the season. Our women's team plays later today, and hopefully they will have better luck, though this has not been a good year for our normally-top-of-the-rankings women's basketball team.
So I finished up all my schoolwork Thursday and headed out to campus. My Ethics class got a little heated, as it probably should have been all semester; I mean, who can agree on Ethics? We were reading chapters from our professor's upcoming book on Congressional ethics (yeah, I know, "contradiction in terms," trust me I've heard it all). Then I headed to my Org Theory class, where my professor grabbed the other doctoral student and I and said "if you want to do something different for the final project, like doing a research paper instead of a case study, that would be fine." That's nice of her and all, she's giving us the chance to work on something that would be helpful to our dissertations, but it's due in 5 weeks, and I'm not sure I want to start a major research paper now (that would make three this semester, and the others are pretty big). We shall see,
Thursday I got phone calls from Richmond Michael, who was coming up with a friend to go shopping. He wanted to get together that night, as we hadn't seen each other in over a month. As it turns out they finished dinner just as I got home from class, so they came over and we hung out a couple hours, then went dancing at Badlands. Of course, every home-for-Spring-Break gayboy student in DC was there for College Night so it was packed. And naturally, Michael's friend Suzanne met a guy and got felt up within 5 minutes of getting on the dance floor. I guess straight boys go to gay clubs looking for frustrated women.
Anyway, we were there until closing (at 3) then came home and sat up talking until almost 5, when they headed back to Richmond (I would've felt better if they'd stayed over, but they figured they should get back). So, Billy didn't get a lot of sleep, and I was a waste on Friday. I tried to work on one of my papers but I had writer's block in a big way. Just in case I needed a reminder as to why I don't go out on Thursday nights, that did the trick. Today I intend to make more progress.
I went to see Kenneth at the coffee house and Adrian met me there after he got off work. We all went to get a beer after Kenneth closed up, then Adrian came back and we had some quality time. We stayed up too late, though, and he had a lot of trouble getting up this morning. I'm sure he was late to class, and if you're late, they don't let you stay, they send you home. Which, in the end, will likely cost him money. Hmmmmmm. I hope it worked out okay. I don't want him to associate me with being late, and I don't want him getting behind at school.
OK, I should start working. I have lots to do before classes next week, and things always seem to pop up around the first of the week, so I need to get to work. Oh, and I'll probably be making some changes to my website. I had two good friends tell me yesterday that the photo on my home page is creepy. So I think I'll accelerate some changes I was planning on making.
18 Mar 2001
Still waiting
Saturday night was fun. Not fantabulous, but still fun. And yet...
I went to Velvet Nation and met up with Adrian, his brother, his brother's boyfriend, and two friends of theirs from his brother's store. We were there for a couple hours. Kenneth also met up with us there later. There was a good DJ, but the whole evening just felt a little off. It wasn't that crowded, but that wasn't it. I think I'm just still looking for something.
So many times I've gone to Velvet either by myself or with friends, and at some point in the evening I'll be standing on the second or third level and I'll look down upon the dance floor, and I'll see a couple. Who knows, they may have only known each other for 5 minutes, but the way they look at each other, it's like they've known one another a lifetime. They are so into each other, to the exclusion of everyone around them, and it's as if a zone has been cleared around them.
And that's what I want.
I really enjoy Velvet, most of the time, and I can get an incredible energy rush from the people and passions around me. And I want to feel that with someone else, someone special. Basically, I want to be there with my boyfriend.
In the heart of the crowd, surrounded by the thumping bass that reverbarates through our bodies, with waves of blue- and green-tinged energy emanating from all those around us, with life and heart and intensity washing over us...in the middle of this maelstrom I want to put my arms around him and pull him close and look into his eyes and see that I'm the only thing he's focused on, the only thing he sees, the only thing he feels...and I want to share the same look with him.
But it hasn't happened yet.
I've been there with each of my last two boyfriends and nothing ever clicked. One made it pretty obvious that he wasn't comfortable there, and the other was very flirtatious with others on the dance floor (which is fine, as I usually am too -- hey, I've met some great people that way, like Adrian, for instance). Last night I felt that Adrian was more interested in hanging out with his brother and his friends, and I was merely a side attraction. He just didn't look like he was having fun. It was the first time either of us had been back to Velvet since we met there on my birthday two months ago, and we definitely had a better time the night we met up (in fact, we came close to the feeling that I want to experience, though we didn't even know each other at that point so it wasn't quite the same). To be fair, the poor boy was exhausted, having worked some very long days with very little sleep recently, and frankly, I was amazed he even decided to come out. So it's not like I'm upset or anything, because I totally understand why he wasn't in a "let's go party and make Bill feel like the only person in the universe" mood, and I haven't even told him about this little psuedo-fantasy of mine yet. In all honesty, I shouldn't refer to him as my boyfriend because I'm not sure we really know where our relationship stands; neither of us has used "the b-word," as far as I know.
And so, I'm still waiting for that feeling. And it will come.
19 Mar 2001
All done
I can't believe it. I actually accomplished everything on today's "Things I Need To Get Done" list.
AND I even managed to finish something I'd planned to do Tuesday.
AND I had dinner with Adrian after he called and offered to take me out for a study break when he got off work (and he had an 11-hour day, and he was beat, and he still took me out -- how sweet!)
AND I met Terry and Nathan and Dave (electronically, anyway) who span three continents.
AND I did an update to my website, getting rid of the new picture on the first page (but I still like it, I don't care what anyone says, so it's still elsewhere on my site). Click on the link to my site and tell me what you think.
AND Tom and I made plans to do something Saturday night, which is great considering I haven't seen him since before my birthday.
AND so I am going to reward myself by going to bed at a (relatively) decent time.
G'night.
By the way...my friend Mirza in Singapore celebrates his 26th birthday on 21 March. As part of my plan to mess with his head, I thought it would be fun to have random people send him birthday greetings. So, if you want to make my day, and (hopefully) his, please send him a birthday greeting. Thanks!
21 Mar 2001
Tuesday was very different from Monday
Monday I got everything done that I intended to do. I was very efficient.
Tuesday I accomplished almost nothing I'd planned. And in the long run, it'll be better for me.
Adrian called in the early afternoon, and it turned out he was off all day for a change (between work and school, he's usually working 7 days a week). He said he wanted to go into the District, walk around the Mall, visit the National Gallery, anything but be cooped up at home doing laundry.
"Ya wanna come?," he asked.
Now, let's look at this. On the one hand, I've still got a couple hundred pages to read for Thursday's classes, I need to review a case for one of those classes, and I have some homework that has to be finished and sent to other class members by Tuesday night. On the other hand, it'll be a l-o-o-o-o-n-n-n-g time before I have a job again where I can set my own schedule, doing my work at night rather than during normal business hours, PLUS with Adrian's crazy schedule and mine, we should take the chance to get together and do stuff during the day whenever we can. So....
"Sure," I said.
And what a good day it was. We had lunch, went down to the Mall, checked out some cool exhibits at the National Gallery (Adrian took some art history courses in college, so I pumped him for information), got coffee up around Dupont Circle, did some shopping for various birthdays, got dinner, came back here and hung out. He ended up staying over, and I let him sleep in today because he really, really needed it; I just got up and went back to my work while he snoozed. We hung out here for a while, him downloading MP3s, me reading for school, then he left for work and I went to class.
What a good way to spend the first day of spring. If the Goddess had expected us to spend it indoors, she wouldn't have created an outdoors. Or something like that. And it was cool to take advantage of the city. And of my schedule.
Two weeks from now as I'm starting to get tense about my big papers, I wouldn't have remembered spending a day stuck inside with my books. But I will remember the cool day I spent with Adrian. And that will make me smile FAR more than studying ever does.
22 Mar 2001
Shifting winds
I'm glad now that I went and played on Tuesday when the opportunity suddenly presented itself. It may be a while before that happens again.
I'm getting into the period when end-of-semester stuff is coming due. I don't have any final exams this time around, but I have three big papers, the first of which is due in 3 weeks, the second of which is due the week after that, and the third is due the next week. Two of them are being presented in class, and then I'll have a couple weeks to make changes based on the other students' critiques.
All this is in addition to my regular reading and homework, of course. Plus, I have a couple of ongoing non-school-yet-related projects going on.
It's not that this is a horribly debilitating workload. But I know how I am when I'm writing, it's a stop-and-go process. And the real impact is that I won't be able to be quite as spontaneous about running off and doing stuff as I've been lately. Rather than grabbing my fun whenever I can get it, and then working later, I'll have to do my work when I can, and grab my fun later.
No biggie. But I need to let my friends know that I won't be as responsive as normal to their last-minute invites.
Of course, if they read my journal, they now know this.
It's funny how things change over a short time. Last year I was a freak. Actually, I talked to Carol the other day, who's in her first year at another school, and she sounded just like I did a year ago. (well, not JUST like me, 'cuz she stayed home and worked on a paper over Spring Break. eeeewwwwwww) I was really worried about school last year, but this year I'm much more relaxed because I know what's expected of me. About the only time I get really tense is when the end of the semester approaches.
Still, even last year, my friends told me they were amazed at how I was able to keep up with my schoolwork and still have a very active social life.
Hmmm...I'm actually a little amazed at that myself.
But my social life is even more active this year. =)
24 Mar 2001
School supplies
I think every doctoral student should be issued a 21-year old community college student. Not just because they can be awfully cute, not just because they can remind us of things outside our field of study, but because sometimes, they will say something that makes everything fall into place.
Friday I was at the coffee house and was talking with Kenneth about this Org Theory paper that I'm trying to put together in a short time. I needed to get working on an outline; the paper is going to compare two military services (the Army and Air Force) and examine how well each one is organized to learn from the past and innovate for the future. I thought I'd bounce some ideas off Kenneth because, as he said, he knows nothing about Org Theory and nothing about the military, so I figured if I could explain the ideas to him, then I must be making them pretty clear.
It took a couple tries, but I was finally clear enough and he got what I was talking about. We debated a couple points, which made me reassess them and will certainly make for a better paper. Then he said something that floored me:
"Y'know, the best incentive for learning from the past and trying something new is getting your ass kicked."
Well, duh.
But that little point hadn't occurred to me before. And it's critical. Not just for this paper, but for my dissertation.
Cuz ya see, the Army has gotten it's ass kicked (in Vietnam especially) whereas the Air Force really hasn't. It's still riding on the success of the Gulf War and the war in Kosovo (which wasn't as successful as has been claimed, but that's another book for another time). So it's no wonder that the Army is better organized for learning that the Air Force is.
The point seems simple. Of course, everything is simple in hindsight. The trick is to have the foresight to see the simple things that are hidden amongst all the other simple things.
Why am I bothering to write this up here? Well, one, because it's MY journal and when I have these insights I want to get them written down so I can flesh them out later. Two, if anyone is actually reading this besides me, they might as well see how much school consumes my time and my thoughts (most of my friends see me going out, going for coffee, going to movies, but never really get a good feel for the work that my school requires) because that's a major part of me right now.
And three, I want everyone to know how cool Kenneth is.
I'll probably write another entry later today. It beats working. So be sure to check back.
24 Mar 2001
These friends of mine
(This is my second entry for Saturday; be sure to check the previous one if you haven't already.)
I think I've been very lucky when it comes to the people who are close to me. I tend not to have the insecure, the unfriendly, the tactless types hanging out with me. And that's a good thing.
Friday night River and his roommate had Adrian and I over for dinner. I think it says a lot for both River and Adrian that there didn't seem to be any awkwardness at all. River and I ended our romantic relationship on good terms and have continued to build our friendship. He is very comfortable with me going out with Adrian, and Adrian seemed to have a very good time last night. He is hoping to return the favor sometime. See what I mean about surrounding myself with cool people?
This was the first time I had met Peter, River's roommate; what a GREAT guy! Very funny, very smart, a great conversationalist...plus, he and I are about the same age, so we remembered the same TV shows. =) The food was wonderful; I haven't had a meal that good in some time. We were there about 6 hours, finally leaving around 3:30 so Adrian could get some sleep before his class this morning.
My other friends seem to click, too. Just this morning I was telling Tracy how I thought he'd be a good mentor for Steve, who is studying computers and trying to decide what to do in the IT field. Not 30 minutes later, as I met Steve for lunch, he said he was having a problem with a Cold Fusion project and wondered if Tracy might help him. Great minds really DO think alike.
And Tom came over tonight. That's the first time I've seen him in about two months. And that's roughly 59 days too long.
Muchos thankos to those who sent random birthday greetings to Mirza in Singapore. I got an e-mail from him which said
You and your posse has made this the best birthday ever.
So thanks to those of you who sent him an e-mail or e-card.
And hey, if you want to make yet another friend's birthday great...Kevin in Omaha is celebrating his birthday on Sunday the 25th. How about sending him a greeting, too, at kdeckard@home.com. You'll be glad you did. And so will he. 'Cuz nothing says "Happy Birthday" better than the best wishes of a bunch of total strangers.
25 Mar 2001
I'm a tired puppy today
It occurs to me that I haven't gotten a good night's sleep since Wednesday. I've been up really late the last few nights and haven't caught up on my sleep. Saturday night I was pretty optimistic; I went to bed around 1, assuming I'd get up around 8 and do some work before meeting some friends for brunch.
Yeah, right.
I hit the damn snooze button for nearly two hours. Instead of being smart, realizing there was no way I was getting out of bed, and then resetting the alarm for an hour or so later, I hit the snooze every 9 minutes. Naturally, that doesn't really count as good sleep. So I'm still tired.
But I made it to brunch on time and met up with my friend and his new dating interest. I don't know why, but brunch felt like a high-class episode of Queer As Folk, so I dressed appropriately. Brunch was fun, it was with a good friend whom I see almost every week, but usually not one-on-one, so we had lots of catching up to do. We headed over to the mall after dropping off his cute (but perhaps not quite his type) young man.
The rest of the day has been a mix of schoolwork and dealing with Chad's artwork down at the coffee house (I still haven't gotten in there at a time when it wasn't full of customers, who keep getting in the way; I'm headed back soon though, so hopefully the third time will be a charm). I've also been listening to Thai music while working. Adrian made me two CDs with about 25 hours worth of MP3s, with everything from club mixes to the My Fair Lady soundtrack, to current Thai hits. So cool.
Adrian's coming over after work and we're going to an Academy Awards party tonight. Wow, I haven't been to an Oscars party in 8 or 9 years. It makes me feel so...gay.
REMINDER: Today is Kevin's birthday, so everyone should send him a birthday greeting.
26 Mar 2001
Ying Ruk Tur
What does "ying rak tur" mean? I've been listening to Thai music all night and I really like this song, but I have no idea what he's saying.
Adrian and I had a "cute moment" this morning. I had taken him into work and then I went to run an errand down the street. Afterwards I was walking by McDonald's and realized Adrian hadn't eaten anything and wouldn't have time for a while, so I called and asked if he wanted anything before I came home. He asked me to pick him up a breakfast bagel so I ran in to get it and then walked down to the salon to drop it off. There was something that seemed extremely cute about picking up breakfast for my sweetie and having him smile and give me a little kiss. I don't know why, it just seemed sweet.
I don't need private dinners for two atop the Eiffel Tower or rose petals strewn upon the bed. I just need moments like that. =)
And if that seems icky and mushy...tough.
28 Mar 2001
Do I even have anything to write about?
The last couple days have been slow. Slow, slow, slow. Basically, I've been doing schoolwork, finishing up a load of reading for the week and trying (without much success) to finish a stupid paper for Thursday. You'd think I could write an 8-page paper in a week, but I'm still not done with it. Oh, well, I'll finish up the Intro on Thursday morning, there's not much more left than that. Then it's out to campus for a few hours in the library before my classes. Mank!
I think I'm just getting a touch of burnout this week. But now is not the time. I've still got plenty to do, including a paper for a professional journal which is due by Monday. And Mom's visiting this weekend.
But none of this is really that fascinating, even to me, so why bother writing about it in my journal when even I don't want to read about it?
One nice thing these last couple days has been Adrian. He came over Tuesday night about 11:30, and we hung out for about half an hour before going to bed. He brought Thai karaoke videos. It's nice to wake up with him. And then he called me when he got off for lunch today and invited me over to Cafe Asia. Good call, I haven't had sushi in a while. Seeing him and talking on the phone with him has provided some nice breaks.
Oh, and here's an odd thing: I wrote in my last entry about listening to Thai music and having no idea what the lyrics meant. This morning I had an e-mail from a guy in Australia who saw my entry and who has a Thai boyfriend. He translated the title of the song I was talking about. Ya gotta love the Web.
Because of my class tonight I had to miss Andy's birthday dinner. Alas. I'll make it up to him. I came home from class and worked on the paper for a bit, then River came over for South Park (a whole hour tonight, hurrah!) then a little more work on the paper, talking to Tracy and Adrian, and now this journal which is really, really boring tonight.
But I figured I should update it so no one would think I was dead.
OK, that's my cue to go to sleep.
29 Mar 2001
Conflicting Conflicts
Somebody at school is doing the same paper as me.
I'm working on a paper for my ethics class that analyzes one aspect of the war in Kosovo two years ago. In the library today I was looking for some books on a couple different subjects that I need to review. About 2/3 of them were checked out, most of them due back on the same date. Hmmmm. Somebody else must be doing the same paper, and has collected the same sources. There were, however, a couple of books that came in just in the last week, so I snatched them up. If s/he wants them, they have to come find me first.
I'm tempted to flirt with the boy at the library and see if he'll tell me who it is. Maybe we could compare notes.
Speaking of papers, I managed to finish the one that was due today. It seemed pretty good, but after looking at it for 2 weeks, it's tough to be objective anymore.
I also got with my Org Theory professor to discuss the outline for my paper that's due there in 2 weeks (the one I was essentially assigned last week). Once again, I've taken on too much; she had me scale it WAY back. The nice thing is, I am hoping to have her on my dissertation committee, where she is more than welcome to get me to scale THAT back, too!
I love professors who say "Don't do too much work."
BY THE WAY: Friday the 30th is my friend Andy's birthday. I probably shouldn't tell you he'll be 35. Oops. Anyway, if everyone who read this were to send him an e-mail and wish him a happy day, that would be a lot of fun. Nothing says "we care" better than a mailbox full of birthday wishes from total strangers around the world.
30 Mar 2001
Let's see, this goes here...
I spent a bit of time tidying up today. Mom is arriving for a visit Saturday and I need to get the place presentable. Saturday morning I'll de-fag. Perhaps I'll have Andy stop by and look it over to make sure I didn't miss anything. Yes, it's true: I'm not out to my parents. I mean, c'mon, they HAVE to know, I'm 35 and not married and have expressed NO interest in a woman in years. Granted, people tend to see what they want to see, but I have a feeling it should be fairly obvious by now which team I'm batting for.
Got a bit of work done today as well. I need to stay focused on getting this big paper done in the next 2 weeks. I think I can, I just have a couple other things to get done as well. Like the 15 page paper for publication that's due by Monday. Ahhhh, no problem.
Had dinner tonight with River, a good friend of his from work, and her boyfriend. Straight people, they can be so much fun. His co-worker is also a UVA grad, same department as me, so we swapped a few stories. Very nice folks, it was nice to finally meet them after hearing about them for months. Adrian joined us later for dessert; he worked 11 hours today, so I think he was a little tired. I know I definitely was. Despite being the oldest person there by 9 years, however, I was NOT the one who said "well, it's time to call it a night."
But damn, I was glad when someone else did.
31 Mar 2001
MomQuest '01 -- Day 1
This year's first MomQuest begins today. My mom should be arriving any time now. The bed's been made, the porn's been hidden, the rainbow candles put away...
Oops, wait a sec, be right back.
I forgot...I left the inflatable Johan Paulik doll sitting out. What was I thinking?
We're off to the Kennedy Center tonight. I've been there a couple times, but never in the big Concert Hall. We're going to see the National Symphony. This should be good.
I'm taking her to brunch Sunday, then will probably go with her to some of the art museums. Hanging out with Mom means I will have to work my ass off Monday and Tuesday (when she's at my brother's), as I have stuff that absolutely has to get done this week.
But if you can't take time to hang out with your mom, then you're a real bastard.
Running, running, running
This week has been VERY fast-paced. I've gone from "lazy Bill" to "crazy Bill" in a matter of a day or two. However, I managed to get (almost) everything done before classes tonight. And I managed to stop off and see Nick at school before going to class, so that makes it a good day by anybody's definition.
We had some goomba come talk to my Ethics class tonight. One of his handouts discussed "The Liberal Dilemma" but he explained that he didn't mean "liberal" in a perjorative sense. EXCUSE me???? Since when is "liberal," as a political term, a bad thing to call someone? Since when is it offensive? That was one of the first things he said, and it really turned me off to the rest of his presentation. I realize people have biases, hell I do to, but DON'T piss off members of your audience right off the bat. And just because you're conservative doesn't have to mean you're a dick. Where did they find this guy?
One thing I realized in my Wednesday night class: if I ever feel like I'm not "getting it" in this program, like I'm not advancing along with my peers, all I have to do is look at the master's degree students in my classes. I'm not putting them down or anything, because I was once in their shoes, doing and saying the same things as them. And it's obvious I'm come far since those days. Of course, those days were about 8 years ago.
There are few things more difficult for me than to sit and watch someone give a presentation when they have no clue how to be an effective public speaker. I realize that I was lucky in preparing myself: I was on the debate team in high school, and took undergrad and master's courses that gave me lots of practice speaking. Of course, 4 years of teaching helped, too. But it was painful Wednesday night to watch some of the paper proposals that people were giving. I couldn't even look at some of them 'cuz I just felt so bad for them. It was obvious that a few of them were absolutely terrified. Poor saps. Don't they know it's just going to get worse if they don't start practicing? Anyone who's reading this thinking Gee, I'm not comfortable speaking in public either should seriously consider getting comfortable with it. An inability to get up in front of people and give a presentation is going to seriously limit you later on. Unless you're planning a career as an accountant. Because nobody wants to talk to accountants anyway.
My friend Douglas wrote that he doesn't really like the new photo on the title page of my website. Any other thoughts out there?
I am a tired, tired puppy dog tonight. I'm going to do some packing and take care of a couple things here, then go to bed. Friday I have to finish packing, finish up some details here, have lunch with Adrian, then go to the airport. I hope I have time to go to the gym. I had McDonalds tonight. Bad Bill...needs a spanking.
2 Mar 2001
Here we go
The bags are packed.
The bills are paid.
The dishes are washed.
The coffee pot is unplugged (I think).
That's it...it's time to go to London!!
3 Mar 2001
London, 3 Mar, 2:12pm
OK, Diary-x puts the diary time in Eastern Time, so my titles will be in British time. Just because.
Anyway, I made it here to London this morning. The pilot said it was snowing for 3 hours before we landed but it's a clear, beautiful day here now. OK, it's colder than I normally like it, and the breeze blowing up my pants leg caused certain body parts to get a lot smaller, but otherwise it's fine. Since I couldn't check into my hotel right away I took the Tube to check out a big outdoor market and then went to SoHo to look around a bit. There are a couple shows in the West End I'd like to see while I'm here, so that may work out. All in all, look like a good start to the trip.
I have to say, though, that a few folks on the flight gave new meaning to the term "ugly American." I almost felt like I should apologize to the British immigration guy for being on the same plane with them. =) And there was ONE cute guy flight attendant on my plane, and naturally, he was working the other side of the cabin. sigh.
That's all for now. More to follow as soon as something happens. And now, I can go check into my hotel. And I will. 'cuz I am one tired puppy dog.
4 Mar 2001
London, 4 Mar, 10:30pm
I think I'm finally beating the jet lag. I fought a losing battle with the snooze button this morning, but finally beat it around 11:30. It's still a little chilly here but I managed to get out and see Shakespeare's Globe Theater, among other things, and have dinner tonight in a cool little place in Chinatown.
And if anyone heard about a car-bomb-threat at Victoria Station this afternoon, don't worry about me, I had evacuated the station and was at least 100 yards away when I heard something blow up. I guess the cops blew up what they thought was a bomb; I haven't heard yet if it was or not.
Saturday night I hit a club called Heaven, which is huge, bigger than anything in DC. Last year I went there on my first night and had fun, but was pretty much on my own for the whole night. This year, though, was a different story. I met a really nice guy about 15 minutes after getting in there, and we ended up hanging out all night. He introduced me to his friends and we went between the three different bars there, with great music in all three. He was very cool, 30, extremely friendly, and just finished his PhD last week. It's nice to see that people DO finish their doctorates; it gives me hope!!! He went to school in Liverpool, though his friends are from here, and they included a doctor, a master's student, and other such folk.
Question: why don't people like ths go out in DC? I mean, there are some very fun people who go to the clubs, but why is it that so many people in that city don't seem to like to go out, almost as if they're too good to go to clubs or they'd rather just stay home watching TV? It's not just an American thing; Atlanta and New York clubs are full of older people with advanced degrees or who are in the professions, or otherwise full of ambition. Why is DC so different?
More of my anthropological ramblings as they occur to me...
7 Mar 2001
Paris, 7 March, 9:30pm
Yes, that's right...Paris.
There's been a minor change in plans.
At the last minute (well, technically, at the 45th-to-last minute) I decided to spend Tuesday through Thursday in Paris instead of Glasgow, Scotland.
Why?
Could it be the fact that London is currently under IRA Alert?
No, though there was a bombing outside the BBC building about 12:30am Sunday. The pix in the paper were very impressive. I was at Victoria Station Sunday afternoon when there was a bomb scare there. The explosion I heard turned out not to be a bomb; it was the police robot firing a round into a van to open it up and take a look at the suspected bomb inside. Man, talk about your bad penalties for parking in a No Parking zone. These folks do take counterterrorism seriously, and for very good reason, as demonstrated the other night. Now I know why the Tube is so dirty; they took out all the trash cans because the IRA used to put bombs in them.
Could it be because blokes kept trying to put their hands down my knickers while dancing?
No, but it COULD be because I know I've been in the UK long enough when I start using words like "blokes" and "knickers." It was weird; Monday night I met 2 guys at the Pink Pounder (it's gay, it costs a pound; get it?) who tried to grope me. One had the hots for me, and his friend said they were looking for someone he could shag. I let him know that someone wasn't going to be me, but that didn't stop him from trying to cop a feel, just so he "had something to remember the night by." Whatever; get away. Then another guy, pretty cute, with whom I'd been dancing for all of two minutes tries to put his hand down my pants and asks, "should we go back to your place?" Um, no.
I came to Paris because 4 people suggested it this week, and I am grateful to them. Today I saw many of the cool tourist things you're supposed to see, and Thursday I'm going to the Louvre before going back to London in the evening. French boys are kinda cute, but not too friendly. And I had trouble last night finding a dance club (though the fact that it was a Tuesday might've had something to do with that).
So this has been an adventure. I was literally on my way to the Glasgow train when I decided to pop into a student travel centre and see what a ticket on Eurostar would cost. It was incredibly cheap for a student. So I booked a seat and had 45 minutes to get online, cancel my Glasgow hotel, get to Waterloo Station, fix up my new student ID, and get on the train. I bought a Paris guidebook as I was running for the train. Once here I figured out the Metro, got some cash, and found a hotel (in the gay district, no less). And it's been cool ever since.
Remember: it's adventures that keep you young.
8 Mar 2001
London, 8 March, 9:51pm
OK, so, I'm back in London. And naturally, I returned to Waterloo Station just in time for another IRA bomb scare. Those guys are getting annoying.
Paris was very cool. I'm not sure about the Parisians themselves, but Paris was definitely fun to visit. I'm so glad I decided to jump on that train! On Wednesday I visited the Eiffel Tower (with an INCREDIBLE view of the city!), the Arc de Triomphe, and Notre Dame Cathedral. Thursday, River and his roommate were in town (got in from Amsterdam Wednesday night) so River and I went to the Louvre and had lunch before I had to catch the Eurostar back to London at 4pm. I was glad when the trip was over; I was sitting next to a really bad episode of "Sex in the City: The College Years," three American female-type students who would not shut up with their inane chatter about nothing. The bomb threat was a welcome relief.
I didn't really go clubbing in Paris. Tuesday night I visited some bars near my hotel, but they were "stand and model" bars, and I wasn't too into any of the models there. Wednesday night River and I were playing phone tag, and I was beat anyway, so I didn't feel like heading out to the club on the Champs Elysee, especially since I knew I'd be going out Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights in London. Believe me, that'll be enough.
And to be honest, it would help to speak the language if I'm going to a club by myself. One more reason I really like London. In fact, pulling into the station today felt like coming home. For the first time ever, I really feel i could live in London. I really, really like this place.
That's all for now. Gotta go get ready to go out. Cheers!
9 Mar 2001
London, 9 March, 9:59pm
Just a quick entry before going down to SoHo. I'm not going dancing tonight; though "Camp Attack" at G-A-Y was a very fun party when I went last year, I was dancing until 4am today, and I had to get up before 8 to go get a ticket for a show tonight. And Saturday, I'm getting up kinda early to catch a train and go visit the town of Bristol, before returning to the States on Sunday. So, I could use some beauty sleep tonight, and thus will merely be strolling around the crowds.
But I did manage to accomplish something I couldn't do last year: I got to see Mamma Mia. This is a musical that incorporates the music of ABBA. Yes, ABBA. There are 22 ABBA songs in it, and the story was written around them. It was pretty fun; the acting was a bit over the top, but then again, so was ABBA. And it was fun to see how they wrote the transitions from dialogue into song. It's a romantic comedy, somewhat topsy-turvy as Gilbert and Sullivan might say. The acting was not the absolute greatest, some of the dialogue was a bit stilted, but it was a fun night. When I was here last year I stood in line 4 nights trying to get a ticket, to no avail; it was the top show in London. But it's dropped to number 2, and by sneaking over to the box office as soon as they opened today, I was able to snag a 7th-row seat that someone had cancelled. Yay for 7th-row seats!
The show is currently touring in America, and the plan was to go see it for Tracy's birthday when it hit DC in July. But it's already been delayed in DC because it's being extended on the west coast. I might graduate and move before it comes to Washington, so I thought I should see it now.
OK, maybe it helps to be a child of the 70s in order to fully appreciate this show. But even if you weren't sentient in the 70s (and frankly, not too many people were) you'd probably have a good time.
OK, that's it...time to go see what kind of trouble I can stay out of. :P
(Oh, and I missed another bomb scare by 5 minutes today. I've been studying terrorism for a few years now, but it's interesting to see the effects up close and personal.)
10 Mar 2001
London, 10 March, 9:40pm
I just had a VERY interesting day.
This morning I caught a train to Bristol, which is a university town a couple hours west of here. In Bristol, I met up with a fellow named Fabian. Fabulous Fabian and I have been reading each other's journals and corresponding over the last few months, and today we overcame a few thousand miles difference and met face to face.
Fabes is a wonderful guy, as I knew he would be from reading his thoughts since last year. (hmmm, that makes me sound like a psychic...well, maybe I am...I mean, how would YOU know?) We spent the afternoon hanging out and talking. He showed me his school, his neighborhood, and some of his favorite haunts, which is great since now I can picture these places when he talks about them (literally picture them in some cases, as I made sure to snap a photo of one particularly important spot). He also took me to a shop where I could buy some of the fabulous flares he was wearing, so that once again I will be on the cutting edge of fashion in America (meaning I'll be wearing these NOW,and I'll probably stop about the same time they hit the US).
What a great day. I was in town about seven hours and we spent the whole time talking, getting to know each other better than we could off of a computer screen. I was pleased that he was willing to meet me; after all, not everyone would meet up with someone from overseas that they've only known online.
However, this should serve as a warning to other folks: I don't get to know people well and open up to them through the Net unless I expect to meet them for real some day. So whether you live in Texas or Quebec, Singapore or British Columbia, or some other spot in between, if you and I have been getting to know each other well, chances are I'll be in your neighborhood some day and would enjoy the chance to sit down over a cup of coffee and chat.
So, today was wonderful. Fabulous Fabian was all I thought he'd be and more. (and yes, Fabes, you're a cutie...there, I know you were looking for that [grin]). Seriously, it's so nice to know the 3-dimensional person behind the 2-dimensional screen. It just goes to show that the Net isn't an end unto itself; it's merely a tool that really can bring people together in ways they never would have before. Just ask Mirza and Peter about that...ahh, but that's a story for another time...
Heading back to the States on Sunday. Looking forward to seeing Adrian; I've missed that guy! Oh, yeah, and Andy, Tracy, Michael, Steve, Kenneth, River (who I don't miss TOO much, since I saw him in Paris!) and everyone else; boy, wouldn't it be a fun trip if we could ALL come over here sometime?
But do you think the UK could really handle that?
11 Mar 2001
London, 11 March, 12:01pm
Headed home.
Last night was odd, but fun. Went to G-A-Y to see a group called Hear'say, which is a "Making the Band" kind of thing: a singing group forming on the TV series "Popstars." Last night was their first public performance, and it was at a gay club; cool, eh? (and being filmed for the show, I should add)
But I didn't get to see them; the queue was too long and the club filled before I got in. We had to wait for the show to end to get in and dance. I probably would've given up but I met three great guys: Chris, Undi (I know I'm spelling that wrong, but you get the idea) and Phill. Chris was the only gay one in the group and it was nice to go dancing without having the pressure of some guy coming onto me strong. Actually, I had a girl proposition me; imagine that. I was really impressed by Phill, he had a guy hit on him and try to kiss him, but Phill handled it very well and without hurting the guy's feelings. Nice; most straight guys I know aren't so polite.
So, I got home at 5, went straight to bed, and now am off to the airport. What a great trip this has been. Precisely what I needed. It'll be interesting to go back and review the journal entries of the last week.
OK, this is Bill signing off from London. Cheers!!!
12 Mar 2001
Tired puppy
Made it back okay. And the jet lag is hitting hard.
Adrian picked me up at the airport last night (what a sweetie) and stayed over. It was definitely nice to cuddle up!
I went downtown to have lunch with Tracy and went by the salon to see Adrian at work. I ended up staying until they closed, and even helped out a bit when they got really busy (don't worry, I was just answering the phone, not cutting hair!!). He then dropped me off on the way home.
Tonight I made a couple calls to get caught up with folks but I am so tired I think I need to get to bed, to try to get my body back on schedule. And so, this will be a short entry. Nighty nite!
13 Mar 2001
Jet lag blows
I really need for my body clock to get back on track. I start feeling a little weird around midday, like I can't concentrate, then I'm really, really tired by 9, and feeling quite strange by 10.
Not that this is much different from my normal day.
But at least today I managed to get a bunch of schoolwork done. Most importantly, I finished up a United Nations training course that we have to do for one of my classes. Well, perhaps even more importantly than that, I did laundry today.
I suppose, if I run out of clothes, I could do like Adrian does -- Monday he wore one of my shirts to work. Of course, he had to go into the "small" end of the closet. But damn, he looked good.
Tonight I went and saw Kenneth at the coffee shop and ended up there for 2 hours, not getting any reading done but just generally having a good time. Kenneth got cast for a part in an upcoming play! That's 2 so far this year, and it's only March!! While he was working I spent some time talking with a couple friends of his. Every now and then you need to sit down and have coffee with a couple high school seniors just to get their take on the world.
Adrian called as I was getting home. He had bought me a present and was on his way over with it. He and his brother showed up and we went out for dessert. He had gotten me a teddy bear at a store where you make them yourself ("Build-A-Bear," I believe it's called). The bear's name is Adrian (though he's a little darker than the REAL Adrian), he's wearing a University of Virginia t-shirt (both Adrian and I went there) and he's got a cute little trick bag on his back with tiny books about wine and chocolate. How cute is that???? Anyway, I know who I'm cuddling up with tonight!
Speaking of which, it is bedtime for me. Laterz!
14 Mar 2001
yawn
OK, first of all: my e-mail is down. Verizon has been having serious problems for a couple days, perhaps because they are incompetent buffoons. Or perhaps for other reasons. And I can't get my web host to stop forwarding mail to my Verizon account. Perhaps because my host is run by buffoons as well. Who knows?
Anyone who has sent me e-mail in the last couple of days, please note that I haven't received any of it, so please resend to my backup account. I'm sure there are at least 30 or 40 of you who have sent me mail.
Well, maybe 1 or 2.
This morning I got an e-mail from someone in one of my Thursday classes. He just wanted to get my feedback on his notes for tomorrow's class, since we're supposed to come in prepared to discuss a case we reviewed in class two weeks ago.
Uh oh.
I totally forgot about it. So I think I will be spending Thursday morning reviewing my notes on the case and coming up with something witty and urbane to say about it. Maybe I could just use words like "witty" and "urbane."
Of course, on Thursday afternoon I will be watching the Virginia Cavaliers in the first round of the NCAA basketball tournament. They are playing against Gonzaga University. I once met a guy who went to law school at Gonzaga. It turned out that he used a lot of drugs. Maybe everyone at Gonzaga uses a lot of drugs. And then their basketball team would suck. And we would win.
Hey, you can always hope.
17 Mar 2001
A little catching up to do
The last couple of days have been a mix of frenzied bursts of activity and mind-numbing exhaustion. Let's see if we can make sense of it all, eh? (I threw in that "eh?" for the benefit of my Canadian friends.)
(warning: I just finished this entry, and it's a LONG one, so I came back to the top to let you know you should probably go to the bathroom now, 'cuz there are no breaks later)
First of all:
I THINK my website e-mail is working again. Between problems at Verizon and some technical difficulties with my web host, I've pretty much been without it since Tuesday. Unfortunately, anyone sending me e-mail has gotten an "Undeliverable Message" response, so not only do friends think I hate them, and potential new friends think I don't want to talk to them, but I've probably missed out on some cool thoughts. So, if anyone DID e-mail me this week but didn't get through, PLEASE resend your message. And if folks could send me a note through the link below, just so I can tell if my mail is working or not, that would be great.
Well, what have I learned in the last couple days? First, I learned that, despite:
* 13 years of elementary and secondary education
* 4 years of undergraduate education
* 2 years spent on a master's degree
* 1 1/2 years (so far) on my PhD
I still can't read. The UVA basketball game that I was so excited about watching on Thursday was actually on Friday. I had planned my day, my homework, my time-to-drive-to-school around Virginia's first-round play in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. Too bad it was the next day. Alas, they lost anyway, by one point at the last second. Of course, if you think about it, one team or the other loses EVERY game at the last second.
The team was playing like a bunch of nuns with leprosy, compared to other games they've played this season. Oh, well, at least they had a good year, being ranked in the Top 15 most of the season. Our women's team plays later today, and hopefully they will have better luck, though this has not been a good year for our normally-top-of-the-rankings women's basketball team.
So I finished up all my schoolwork Thursday and headed out to campus. My Ethics class got a little heated, as it probably should have been all semester; I mean, who can agree on Ethics? We were reading chapters from our professor's upcoming book on Congressional ethics (yeah, I know, "contradiction in terms," trust me I've heard it all). Then I headed to my Org Theory class, where my professor grabbed the other doctoral student and I and said "if you want to do something different for the final project, like doing a research paper instead of a case study, that would be fine." That's nice of her and all, she's giving us the chance to work on something that would be helpful to our dissertations, but it's due in 5 weeks, and I'm not sure I want to start a major research paper now (that would make three this semester, and the others are pretty big). We shall see,
Thursday I got phone calls from Richmond Michael, who was coming up with a friend to go shopping. He wanted to get together that night, as we hadn't seen each other in over a month. As it turns out they finished dinner just as I got home from class, so they came over and we hung out a couple hours, then went dancing at Badlands. Of course, every home-for-Spring-Break gayboy student in DC was there for College Night so it was packed. And naturally, Michael's friend Suzanne met a guy and got felt up within 5 minutes of getting on the dance floor. I guess straight boys go to gay clubs looking for frustrated women.
Anyway, we were there until closing (at 3) then came home and sat up talking until almost 5, when they headed back to Richmond (I would've felt better if they'd stayed over, but they figured they should get back). So, Billy didn't get a lot of sleep, and I was a waste on Friday. I tried to work on one of my papers but I had writer's block in a big way. Just in case I needed a reminder as to why I don't go out on Thursday nights, that did the trick. Today I intend to make more progress.
I went to see Kenneth at the coffee house and Adrian met me there after he got off work. We all went to get a beer after Kenneth closed up, then Adrian came back and we had some quality time. We stayed up too late, though, and he had a lot of trouble getting up this morning. I'm sure he was late to class, and if you're late, they don't let you stay, they send you home. Which, in the end, will likely cost him money. Hmmmmmm. I hope it worked out okay. I don't want him to associate me with being late, and I don't want him getting behind at school.
OK, I should start working. I have lots to do before classes next week, and things always seem to pop up around the first of the week, so I need to get to work. Oh, and I'll probably be making some changes to my website. I had two good friends tell me yesterday that the photo on my home page is creepy. So I think I'll accelerate some changes I was planning on making.
18 Mar 2001
Still waiting
Saturday night was fun. Not fantabulous, but still fun. And yet...
I went to Velvet Nation and met up with Adrian, his brother, his brother's boyfriend, and two friends of theirs from his brother's store. We were there for a couple hours. Kenneth also met up with us there later. There was a good DJ, but the whole evening just felt a little off. It wasn't that crowded, but that wasn't it. I think I'm just still looking for something.
So many times I've gone to Velvet either by myself or with friends, and at some point in the evening I'll be standing on the second or third level and I'll look down upon the dance floor, and I'll see a couple. Who knows, they may have only known each other for 5 minutes, but the way they look at each other, it's like they've known one another a lifetime. They are so into each other, to the exclusion of everyone around them, and it's as if a zone has been cleared around them.
And that's what I want.
I really enjoy Velvet, most of the time, and I can get an incredible energy rush from the people and passions around me. And I want to feel that with someone else, someone special. Basically, I want to be there with my boyfriend.
In the heart of the crowd, surrounded by the thumping bass that reverbarates through our bodies, with waves of blue- and green-tinged energy emanating from all those around us, with life and heart and intensity washing over us...in the middle of this maelstrom I want to put my arms around him and pull him close and look into his eyes and see that I'm the only thing he's focused on, the only thing he sees, the only thing he feels...and I want to share the same look with him.
But it hasn't happened yet.
I've been there with each of my last two boyfriends and nothing ever clicked. One made it pretty obvious that he wasn't comfortable there, and the other was very flirtatious with others on the dance floor (which is fine, as I usually am too -- hey, I've met some great people that way, like Adrian, for instance). Last night I felt that Adrian was more interested in hanging out with his brother and his friends, and I was merely a side attraction. He just didn't look like he was having fun. It was the first time either of us had been back to Velvet since we met there on my birthday two months ago, and we definitely had a better time the night we met up (in fact, we came close to the feeling that I want to experience, though we didn't even know each other at that point so it wasn't quite the same). To be fair, the poor boy was exhausted, having worked some very long days with very little sleep recently, and frankly, I was amazed he even decided to come out. So it's not like I'm upset or anything, because I totally understand why he wasn't in a "let's go party and make Bill feel like the only person in the universe" mood, and I haven't even told him about this little psuedo-fantasy of mine yet. In all honesty, I shouldn't refer to him as my boyfriend because I'm not sure we really know where our relationship stands; neither of us has used "the b-word," as far as I know.
And so, I'm still waiting for that feeling. And it will come.
19 Mar 2001
All done
I can't believe it. I actually accomplished everything on today's "Things I Need To Get Done" list.
AND I even managed to finish something I'd planned to do Tuesday.
AND I had dinner with Adrian after he called and offered to take me out for a study break when he got off work (and he had an 11-hour day, and he was beat, and he still took me out -- how sweet!)
AND I met Terry and Nathan and Dave (electronically, anyway) who span three continents.
AND I did an update to my website, getting rid of the new picture on the first page (but I still like it, I don't care what anyone says, so it's still elsewhere on my site). Click on the link to my site and tell me what you think.
AND Tom and I made plans to do something Saturday night, which is great considering I haven't seen him since before my birthday.
AND so I am going to reward myself by going to bed at a (relatively) decent time.
G'night.
By the way...my friend Mirza in Singapore celebrates his 26th birthday on 21 March. As part of my plan to mess with his head, I thought it would be fun to have random people send him birthday greetings. So, if you want to make my day, and (hopefully) his, please send him a birthday greeting. Thanks!
21 Mar 2001
Tuesday was very different from Monday
Monday I got everything done that I intended to do. I was very efficient.
Tuesday I accomplished almost nothing I'd planned. And in the long run, it'll be better for me.
Adrian called in the early afternoon, and it turned out he was off all day for a change (between work and school, he's usually working 7 days a week). He said he wanted to go into the District, walk around the Mall, visit the National Gallery, anything but be cooped up at home doing laundry.
"Ya wanna come?," he asked.
Now, let's look at this. On the one hand, I've still got a couple hundred pages to read for Thursday's classes, I need to review a case for one of those classes, and I have some homework that has to be finished and sent to other class members by Tuesday night. On the other hand, it'll be a l-o-o-o-o-n-n-n-g time before I have a job again where I can set my own schedule, doing my work at night rather than during normal business hours, PLUS with Adrian's crazy schedule and mine, we should take the chance to get together and do stuff during the day whenever we can. So....
"Sure," I said.
And what a good day it was. We had lunch, went down to the Mall, checked out some cool exhibits at the National Gallery (Adrian took some art history courses in college, so I pumped him for information), got coffee up around Dupont Circle, did some shopping for various birthdays, got dinner, came back here and hung out. He ended up staying over, and I let him sleep in today because he really, really needed it; I just got up and went back to my work while he snoozed. We hung out here for a while, him downloading MP3s, me reading for school, then he left for work and I went to class.
What a good way to spend the first day of spring. If the Goddess had expected us to spend it indoors, she wouldn't have created an outdoors. Or something like that. And it was cool to take advantage of the city. And of my schedule.
Two weeks from now as I'm starting to get tense about my big papers, I wouldn't have remembered spending a day stuck inside with my books. But I will remember the cool day I spent with Adrian. And that will make me smile FAR more than studying ever does.
22 Mar 2001
Shifting winds
I'm glad now that I went and played on Tuesday when the opportunity suddenly presented itself. It may be a while before that happens again.
I'm getting into the period when end-of-semester stuff is coming due. I don't have any final exams this time around, but I have three big papers, the first of which is due in 3 weeks, the second of which is due the week after that, and the third is due the next week. Two of them are being presented in class, and then I'll have a couple weeks to make changes based on the other students' critiques.
All this is in addition to my regular reading and homework, of course. Plus, I have a couple of ongoing non-school-yet-related projects going on.
It's not that this is a horribly debilitating workload. But I know how I am when I'm writing, it's a stop-and-go process. And the real impact is that I won't be able to be quite as spontaneous about running off and doing stuff as I've been lately. Rather than grabbing my fun whenever I can get it, and then working later, I'll have to do my work when I can, and grab my fun later.
No biggie. But I need to let my friends know that I won't be as responsive as normal to their last-minute invites.
Of course, if they read my journal, they now know this.
It's funny how things change over a short time. Last year I was a freak. Actually, I talked to Carol the other day, who's in her first year at another school, and she sounded just like I did a year ago. (well, not JUST like me, 'cuz she stayed home and worked on a paper over Spring Break. eeeewwwwwww) I was really worried about school last year, but this year I'm much more relaxed because I know what's expected of me. About the only time I get really tense is when the end of the semester approaches.
Still, even last year, my friends told me they were amazed at how I was able to keep up with my schoolwork and still have a very active social life.
Hmmm...I'm actually a little amazed at that myself.
But my social life is even more active this year. =)
24 Mar 2001
School supplies
I think every doctoral student should be issued a 21-year old community college student. Not just because they can be awfully cute, not just because they can remind us of things outside our field of study, but because sometimes, they will say something that makes everything fall into place.
Friday I was at the coffee house and was talking with Kenneth about this Org Theory paper that I'm trying to put together in a short time. I needed to get working on an outline; the paper is going to compare two military services (the Army and Air Force) and examine how well each one is organized to learn from the past and innovate for the future. I thought I'd bounce some ideas off Kenneth because, as he said, he knows nothing about Org Theory and nothing about the military, so I figured if I could explain the ideas to him, then I must be making them pretty clear.
It took a couple tries, but I was finally clear enough and he got what I was talking about. We debated a couple points, which made me reassess them and will certainly make for a better paper. Then he said something that floored me:
"Y'know, the best incentive for learning from the past and trying something new is getting your ass kicked."
Well, duh.
But that little point hadn't occurred to me before. And it's critical. Not just for this paper, but for my dissertation.
Cuz ya see, the Army has gotten it's ass kicked (in Vietnam especially) whereas the Air Force really hasn't. It's still riding on the success of the Gulf War and the war in Kosovo (which wasn't as successful as has been claimed, but that's another book for another time). So it's no wonder that the Army is better organized for learning that the Air Force is.
The point seems simple. Of course, everything is simple in hindsight. The trick is to have the foresight to see the simple things that are hidden amongst all the other simple things.
Why am I bothering to write this up here? Well, one, because it's MY journal and when I have these insights I want to get them written down so I can flesh them out later. Two, if anyone is actually reading this besides me, they might as well see how much school consumes my time and my thoughts (most of my friends see me going out, going for coffee, going to movies, but never really get a good feel for the work that my school requires) because that's a major part of me right now.
And three, I want everyone to know how cool Kenneth is.
I'll probably write another entry later today. It beats working. So be sure to check back.
24 Mar 2001
These friends of mine
(This is my second entry for Saturday; be sure to check the previous one if you haven't already.)
I think I've been very lucky when it comes to the people who are close to me. I tend not to have the insecure, the unfriendly, the tactless types hanging out with me. And that's a good thing.
Friday night River and his roommate had Adrian and I over for dinner. I think it says a lot for both River and Adrian that there didn't seem to be any awkwardness at all. River and I ended our romantic relationship on good terms and have continued to build our friendship. He is very comfortable with me going out with Adrian, and Adrian seemed to have a very good time last night. He is hoping to return the favor sometime. See what I mean about surrounding myself with cool people?
This was the first time I had met Peter, River's roommate; what a GREAT guy! Very funny, very smart, a great conversationalist...plus, he and I are about the same age, so we remembered the same TV shows. =) The food was wonderful; I haven't had a meal that good in some time. We were there about 6 hours, finally leaving around 3:30 so Adrian could get some sleep before his class this morning.
My other friends seem to click, too. Just this morning I was telling Tracy how I thought he'd be a good mentor for Steve, who is studying computers and trying to decide what to do in the IT field. Not 30 minutes later, as I met Steve for lunch, he said he was having a problem with a Cold Fusion project and wondered if Tracy might help him. Great minds really DO think alike.
And Tom came over tonight. That's the first time I've seen him in about two months. And that's roughly 59 days too long.
Muchos thankos to those who sent random birthday greetings to Mirza in Singapore. I got an e-mail from him which said
You and your posse has made this the best birthday ever.
So thanks to those of you who sent him an e-mail or e-card.
And hey, if you want to make yet another friend's birthday great...Kevin in Omaha is celebrating his birthday on Sunday the 25th. How about sending him a greeting, too, at kdeckard@home.com. You'll be glad you did. And so will he. 'Cuz nothing says "Happy Birthday" better than the best wishes of a bunch of total strangers.
25 Mar 2001
I'm a tired puppy today
It occurs to me that I haven't gotten a good night's sleep since Wednesday. I've been up really late the last few nights and haven't caught up on my sleep. Saturday night I was pretty optimistic; I went to bed around 1, assuming I'd get up around 8 and do some work before meeting some friends for brunch.
Yeah, right.
I hit the damn snooze button for nearly two hours. Instead of being smart, realizing there was no way I was getting out of bed, and then resetting the alarm for an hour or so later, I hit the snooze every 9 minutes. Naturally, that doesn't really count as good sleep. So I'm still tired.
But I made it to brunch on time and met up with my friend and his new dating interest. I don't know why, but brunch felt like a high-class episode of Queer As Folk, so I dressed appropriately. Brunch was fun, it was with a good friend whom I see almost every week, but usually not one-on-one, so we had lots of catching up to do. We headed over to the mall after dropping off his cute (but perhaps not quite his type) young man.
The rest of the day has been a mix of schoolwork and dealing with Chad's artwork down at the coffee house (I still haven't gotten in there at a time when it wasn't full of customers, who keep getting in the way; I'm headed back soon though, so hopefully the third time will be a charm). I've also been listening to Thai music while working. Adrian made me two CDs with about 25 hours worth of MP3s, with everything from club mixes to the My Fair Lady soundtrack, to current Thai hits. So cool.
Adrian's coming over after work and we're going to an Academy Awards party tonight. Wow, I haven't been to an Oscars party in 8 or 9 years. It makes me feel so...gay.
REMINDER: Today is Kevin's birthday, so everyone should send him a birthday greeting.
26 Mar 2001
Ying Ruk Tur
What does "ying rak tur" mean? I've been listening to Thai music all night and I really like this song, but I have no idea what he's saying.
Adrian and I had a "cute moment" this morning. I had taken him into work and then I went to run an errand down the street. Afterwards I was walking by McDonald's and realized Adrian hadn't eaten anything and wouldn't have time for a while, so I called and asked if he wanted anything before I came home. He asked me to pick him up a breakfast bagel so I ran in to get it and then walked down to the salon to drop it off. There was something that seemed extremely cute about picking up breakfast for my sweetie and having him smile and give me a little kiss. I don't know why, it just seemed sweet.
I don't need private dinners for two atop the Eiffel Tower or rose petals strewn upon the bed. I just need moments like that. =)
And if that seems icky and mushy...tough.
28 Mar 2001
Do I even have anything to write about?
The last couple days have been slow. Slow, slow, slow. Basically, I've been doing schoolwork, finishing up a load of reading for the week and trying (without much success) to finish a stupid paper for Thursday. You'd think I could write an 8-page paper in a week, but I'm still not done with it. Oh, well, I'll finish up the Intro on Thursday morning, there's not much more left than that. Then it's out to campus for a few hours in the library before my classes. Mank!
I think I'm just getting a touch of burnout this week. But now is not the time. I've still got plenty to do, including a paper for a professional journal which is due by Monday. And Mom's visiting this weekend.
But none of this is really that fascinating, even to me, so why bother writing about it in my journal when even I don't want to read about it?
One nice thing these last couple days has been Adrian. He came over Tuesday night about 11:30, and we hung out for about half an hour before going to bed. He brought Thai karaoke videos. It's nice to wake up with him. And then he called me when he got off for lunch today and invited me over to Cafe Asia. Good call, I haven't had sushi in a while. Seeing him and talking on the phone with him has provided some nice breaks.
Oh, and here's an odd thing: I wrote in my last entry about listening to Thai music and having no idea what the lyrics meant. This morning I had an e-mail from a guy in Australia who saw my entry and who has a Thai boyfriend. He translated the title of the song I was talking about. Ya gotta love the Web.
Because of my class tonight I had to miss Andy's birthday dinner. Alas. I'll make it up to him. I came home from class and worked on the paper for a bit, then River came over for South Park (a whole hour tonight, hurrah!) then a little more work on the paper, talking to Tracy and Adrian, and now this journal which is really, really boring tonight.
But I figured I should update it so no one would think I was dead.
OK, that's my cue to go to sleep.
29 Mar 2001
Conflicting Conflicts
Somebody at school is doing the same paper as me.
I'm working on a paper for my ethics class that analyzes one aspect of the war in Kosovo two years ago. In the library today I was looking for some books on a couple different subjects that I need to review. About 2/3 of them were checked out, most of them due back on the same date. Hmmmm. Somebody else must be doing the same paper, and has collected the same sources. There were, however, a couple of books that came in just in the last week, so I snatched them up. If s/he wants them, they have to come find me first.
I'm tempted to flirt with the boy at the library and see if he'll tell me who it is. Maybe we could compare notes.
Speaking of papers, I managed to finish the one that was due today. It seemed pretty good, but after looking at it for 2 weeks, it's tough to be objective anymore.
I also got with my Org Theory professor to discuss the outline for my paper that's due there in 2 weeks (the one I was essentially assigned last week). Once again, I've taken on too much; she had me scale it WAY back. The nice thing is, I am hoping to have her on my dissertation committee, where she is more than welcome to get me to scale THAT back, too!
I love professors who say "Don't do too much work."
BY THE WAY: Friday the 30th is my friend Andy's birthday. I probably shouldn't tell you he'll be 35. Oops. Anyway, if everyone who read this were to send him an e-mail and wish him a happy day, that would be a lot of fun. Nothing says "we care" better than a mailbox full of birthday wishes from total strangers around the world.
30 Mar 2001
Let's see, this goes here...
I spent a bit of time tidying up today. Mom is arriving for a visit Saturday and I need to get the place presentable. Saturday morning I'll de-fag. Perhaps I'll have Andy stop by and look it over to make sure I didn't miss anything. Yes, it's true: I'm not out to my parents. I mean, c'mon, they HAVE to know, I'm 35 and not married and have expressed NO interest in a woman in years. Granted, people tend to see what they want to see, but I have a feeling it should be fairly obvious by now which team I'm batting for.
Got a bit of work done today as well. I need to stay focused on getting this big paper done in the next 2 weeks. I think I can, I just have a couple other things to get done as well. Like the 15 page paper for publication that's due by Monday. Ahhhh, no problem.
Had dinner tonight with River, a good friend of his from work, and her boyfriend. Straight people, they can be so much fun. His co-worker is also a UVA grad, same department as me, so we swapped a few stories. Very nice folks, it was nice to finally meet them after hearing about them for months. Adrian joined us later for dessert; he worked 11 hours today, so I think he was a little tired. I know I definitely was. Despite being the oldest person there by 9 years, however, I was NOT the one who said "well, it's time to call it a night."
But damn, I was glad when someone else did.
31 Mar 2001
MomQuest '01 -- Day 1
This year's first MomQuest begins today. My mom should be arriving any time now. The bed's been made, the porn's been hidden, the rainbow candles put away...
Oops, wait a sec, be right back.
I forgot...I left the inflatable Johan Paulik doll sitting out. What was I thinking?
We're off to the Kennedy Center tonight. I've been there a couple times, but never in the big Concert Hall. We're going to see the National Symphony. This should be good.
I'm taking her to brunch Sunday, then will probably go with her to some of the art museums. Hanging out with Mom means I will have to work my ass off Monday and Tuesday (when she's at my brother's), as I have stuff that absolutely has to get done this week.
But if you can't take time to hang out with your mom, then you're a real bastard.
