Sunday, July 30, 2006
What a Difference 11 Days Make
I have been sick, sick, sick as a dog for a week and a half. How the hell does someone catch a cold during a heat wave in the middle of July??? I swear, I am so weird sometimes. And by "sometimes," I mean "always."
During the different phases, many of which seemed quite similar to tuberculosis, I was still going to work each day, so my ass was dragging when I got home and I barely made it online. I'm way behind on reading journals and I'm definitely behind on writing.
But I still managed to have fun...
One night, we went to dinner with Richmond Michael, who of course is one of my favorite people in the universe. Having seen him only sporadically the last four years I'm looking forward to some quality Michael Time. Though I'm afraid Adrian wants to pounce upon him...
Somewhere in there I saw Arlington Michael for lunch, realizing only as I was dialing that I was calling him on the day his weekly paper goes to the publisher. Needless to say they were a little busy but they managed to wrap it up just in time for he and I to have a nice lunch.
We had a big family party with Adrian's family, and with a dozen little kids ranging in age from 2 to 8, plus a couple dozen adults speaking languages I don't know, combined with some good Southeast Asian karaoke, and Adrian counseling his 17-year old niece for 2 hours, it was a pretty wild time. I, of course, was exhausted with a slight fever by the time we left.
Andy and Terry threw a cookout for us with some of our old friends and some of their new ones. Much sangria was consumed, which I was sure would kill the germs associated with my cold, but all it did was push them south into my chest.
Somewhere in there, I slept. Not much, but I did. I spent a few nights sleeping in the Room of Many Colors so as not to make Adrian sick. Friday night I got up about 1am and went there because I was coughing and knew I'd keep him up. He showed up a couple hours later saying he missed me. Awwwwwwww. A couple hours after that, he went back to our bedroom because he wasn't sleeping. Could that have had anything to do with my snoring? Noooooooooo. Well, maybe.
We saw Angelo in there a couple times, and he and Josh and we went to dinner Saturday night at a new place (well, new to us) and then out for drinks.
Tonight I made pho. And it was GOOD. I know, because two Asian boys told me so. And they would know. And they would not lie. Trust me, if there was a chance to tell me they didn't like it, they would have. Well, one of them would have. And I ain't sayin' which one.
Now I'm off to sleep so I can spend Monday escorting a group of African military officers around DC, which should be pretty interesting. Some things are happening at work, of which I'll have to write. But not now.
During the different phases, many of which seemed quite similar to tuberculosis, I was still going to work each day, so my ass was dragging when I got home and I barely made it online. I'm way behind on reading journals and I'm definitely behind on writing.
But I still managed to have fun...
One night, we went to dinner with Richmond Michael, who of course is one of my favorite people in the universe. Having seen him only sporadically the last four years I'm looking forward to some quality Michael Time. Though I'm afraid Adrian wants to pounce upon him...
Somewhere in there I saw Arlington Michael for lunch, realizing only as I was dialing that I was calling him on the day his weekly paper goes to the publisher. Needless to say they were a little busy but they managed to wrap it up just in time for he and I to have a nice lunch.
We had a big family party with Adrian's family, and with a dozen little kids ranging in age from 2 to 8, plus a couple dozen adults speaking languages I don't know, combined with some good Southeast Asian karaoke, and Adrian counseling his 17-year old niece for 2 hours, it was a pretty wild time. I, of course, was exhausted with a slight fever by the time we left.
Andy and Terry threw a cookout for us with some of our old friends and some of their new ones. Much sangria was consumed, which I was sure would kill the germs associated with my cold, but all it did was push them south into my chest.
Somewhere in there, I slept. Not much, but I did. I spent a few nights sleeping in the Room of Many Colors so as not to make Adrian sick. Friday night I got up about 1am and went there because I was coughing and knew I'd keep him up. He showed up a couple hours later saying he missed me. Awwwwwwww. A couple hours after that, he went back to our bedroom because he wasn't sleeping. Could that have had anything to do with my snoring? Noooooooooo. Well, maybe.
We saw Angelo in there a couple times, and he and Josh and we went to dinner Saturday night at a new place (well, new to us) and then out for drinks.
Tonight I made pho. And it was GOOD. I know, because two Asian boys told me so. And they would know. And they would not lie. Trust me, if there was a chance to tell me they didn't like it, they would have. Well, one of them would have. And I ain't sayin' which one.
Now I'm off to sleep so I can spend Monday escorting a group of African military officers around DC, which should be pretty interesting. Some things are happening at work, of which I'll have to write. But not now.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Sleepy
I decided I wouldn't post anything new until either my ears stopped ringing or I got a comment on my last post.
My ears finally stopped ringing.
Had dinner with Dancin' Mike tonight, much fun, but very tired and must to bed, as Shakespeare might have said (if he was bad at English).
My ears finally stopped ringing.
Had dinner with Dancin' Mike tonight, much fun, but very tired and must to bed, as Shakespeare might have said (if he was bad at English).
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Closing Time
My first semester of grad school I worked on a project examining the financial benefits to the District of Columbia of building a new baseball stadium here. At that time, in 1999, we concluded it was a bad idea. Now, in 2006, I still think it's a bad idea, but now I think that primarily because it means the closing of Velvet Nation.
Nation, the warehouse-style home of Saturday night's big gay party in DC, held it's last party last night because it's being torn down during the stadium-related construction in that area, and I'm a little sad. Maybe it seems silly to mourn the loss of a nightclub, especially one which included some things (like drugs) that I don't have anything to do with. But I have some memories at Velvet, some things that I have connected my past with my future, and I am sorry to see it go.
Of course, we all know that on January 13, 2001 -- my 35th birthday -- Adrian and I met at Velvet. That night has become the greatest night ever because it gave me a life much happier than any I could have imagined. Last night, before we left for the final time around 4:30 am, I took Adrian back to the spot where we met and we danced like we were the only two people in there (never mind the hundreds of sweaty bodies around us). I will always be grateful to that club for what it gave me.
But there's more...
It was at Velvet that I first saw Arlington Michael in the flesh, though neither of us knew it. We had met up online, on PlanetOut back when that was fun to do (and also free) and he had almost deleted my e-mail because I had decided to have fun with it, which he interpreted to mean I was insane. But he relented and agreed to go out with me. A few nights before our first date I was at Velvet and as I was leaving I saw a guy and thought "that looks a lot like Michael," which it turns out it was. He was on a date with someone else. Obviously, I proved to be more fun as we dated for 3 months before we realized (actually, he realized) we'd be better friends that boyfriends. I think he was right.
It was at Velvet that I met Steve, coincidentally the same night I saw Michael (in fact, I was leaving to walk Steve back to his car when I saw Michael, which was somewhat ironic because 5 months later, THEY were dating). Steve was there with a lady friend of his because he was just coming out and she wanted to take him to a gay club where he might meet a cute guy. Obviously, he did. :P We danced, and I seem to recall we even kissed a few times. He was good at it, too. Steve has impressed all of us by going on to do all the things he said he was going to do with his life. He's an interesting an mysterious fellow, and I'm happy that Velvet allowed us to meet.
It was at Velvet that I realized that Khamla, Adrian's brother, liked me, and that was pretty important. They are pretty close (it helps that both are gay) and I really wanted him to like me as that might mean the difference between Adrian going out with me or not. I don't remember exactly what he did but after a group of us were out one night I got the idea that I'd met with his approval and it would all be good. Khamla was out with us last night and the difference between him then and him now is striking. The good stuff all remained, and improved, as he became more comfortable with himself over the years and gained more confidence in himself. I love him and am so happy to have him in my life.
It was at Velvet where I met the one-balled wonder who drove up from Woodbridge a few nights later to my apartment to talk for a bit, give me a blowjob, ask me to take a trip to Quebec with him, then never call again.
It was at Velvet that I first met Richmond Michael in person. We had written e-mails before and soon after my first move to DC back in '99, but it wasn't until December that we finally met up. I still have the "candy" he gave me one night, a cute little bracelet he'd made for me (Michael was a candy raver in those days) and I always loved seeing him there because he was always so happy. We saw each other outside of the club, of course, but there was always something special about seeing him there. Michael really kept the flame of youth burning brightly inside me, reminding me that I didn't have to follow some preordained path through my 30s and into the inevitable "middle age" but instead could have the experiences I wanted to have and sample the things I wanted to sample regardless of my age. He has also made me feel over the years that I have made a positive difference in his life, and frankly, that's all I've ever wanted to do.
It was at Velvet that Dancin' Mike let me know that he liked me for who I was, not just as "a friend of a friend." He and Richmond Michael had stayed with me for a week in the spring of 2000 when they were each having trouble at home, and that was when I met Mike. I really liked him, he was such a nice guy (remember the cake!), and he seemed to like me too, but it was a stressful time for him so emotions can be hard to read. But at the end of that week we were all at Velvet where he told me how he respected me and was really comfortable with me and felt he could be open with me, and that really meant (and still means) a lot. He, too, makes me feel like I make a difference, and that means so much. I saw him there just last week and he was as fun as ever, and we saw him last night after he danced a wonderful show on the main stage. As I have for years, I continue to see so much potential in him, and I hope he sees it in himself.
It was at Velvet that I picked up a guy who later turned out to be Johnny Depp, finding it out only after we'd had really mind-blowing sex, then having him go back to women because he knew sex would never be as good with another man as it was with me. (OK, that didn't really happen, but c'mon, it could have. In an alternate universe.) Actually, I never once picked up anyone at Velvet and took him home. Since I was usually there until after 3am, taking someone home didn't really fit into my schedule.
But Velvet wasn't just about my connections to others. It was about my connection to myself.
It was at Velvet that I really began to enjoy dancing, to feel the energy of lots of other people around me and become a part of it, feeding off of it while feeding into it. Dancing is the only time I feel truly unconstrained, dropping away the pressures of work and school and daily life to just feel music running through me and let it carry me. I may look like a chicken with epilepsy, but it's ok because once I'm there I'm just about dancing. Nobody gives a damn about my job or my PhD at Velvet.
It was at Velvet that I became more comfortable with myself...I believe it's the first place I ever felt good about dancing without a shirt (the unfortunate incident in Atlanta is best forgotten by everyone). I didn't feel pressure to hit on anyone, I didn't feel like I was being judged (even though I'm sure I was), I didn't feel like I had to do anything but have fun. Other people go to clubs and get wrapped up in "the scene" and "drama" but for me it was about just feeling good about myself.
It was at Velvet that I experienced (without taking any) some idea about what it feels like to do ecstasy. Like I said, I didn't do it, I don't think I'd even had more than a beer to drink, but that night I experienced feelings I'd never had before and haven't had since. I even danced with glowsticks. (on a side note...does the death of Velvet finally mean an end to glowsticks? Nah, I don't think so either.)
Bottom line: this was a place that made me feel good about myself, especially at times when I really needed it. It helped me connect and grow closer with people in one environment in a way that translated to others. It gave me a break from the stress of working on my PhD. And most importantly, it introduced me to the love of my life, who is at the moment sitting 5 feet away and doesn't know I'm pausing every few seconds to stare at him.
For me, the end of Velvet may mean the end of warehouse clubs. Sure, when I make it back to London I'll definitely visit Heaven and G-A-Y, but there's no replacement in sight here in DC, and when I go to San Francisco or New York I tend to prefer somewhat smaller clubs with smaller dance floors and smaller crowds, like The Cafe and Badlands in SF and The Web in NYC. Maybe I'm done with this phase of my life. Velvet Nation was the first of the big clubs for me, and perhaps it should be the last. We'll see.
So now maybe you can see why the end of this place matters to me.
And maybe, just maybe, my ears will stop ringing by tomorrow.
Nation, the warehouse-style home of Saturday night's big gay party in DC, held it's last party last night because it's being torn down during the stadium-related construction in that area, and I'm a little sad. Maybe it seems silly to mourn the loss of a nightclub, especially one which included some things (like drugs) that I don't have anything to do with. But I have some memories at Velvet, some things that I have connected my past with my future, and I am sorry to see it go.
Of course, we all know that on January 13, 2001 -- my 35th birthday -- Adrian and I met at Velvet. That night has become the greatest night ever because it gave me a life much happier than any I could have imagined. Last night, before we left for the final time around 4:30 am, I took Adrian back to the spot where we met and we danced like we were the only two people in there (never mind the hundreds of sweaty bodies around us). I will always be grateful to that club for what it gave me.
But there's more...
It was at Velvet that I first saw Arlington Michael in the flesh, though neither of us knew it. We had met up online, on PlanetOut back when that was fun to do (and also free) and he had almost deleted my e-mail because I had decided to have fun with it, which he interpreted to mean I was insane. But he relented and agreed to go out with me. A few nights before our first date I was at Velvet and as I was leaving I saw a guy and thought "that looks a lot like Michael," which it turns out it was. He was on a date with someone else. Obviously, I proved to be more fun as we dated for 3 months before we realized (actually, he realized) we'd be better friends that boyfriends. I think he was right.
It was at Velvet that I met Steve, coincidentally the same night I saw Michael (in fact, I was leaving to walk Steve back to his car when I saw Michael, which was somewhat ironic because 5 months later, THEY were dating). Steve was there with a lady friend of his because he was just coming out and she wanted to take him to a gay club where he might meet a cute guy. Obviously, he did. :P We danced, and I seem to recall we even kissed a few times. He was good at it, too. Steve has impressed all of us by going on to do all the things he said he was going to do with his life. He's an interesting an mysterious fellow, and I'm happy that Velvet allowed us to meet.
It was at Velvet that I realized that Khamla, Adrian's brother, liked me, and that was pretty important. They are pretty close (it helps that both are gay) and I really wanted him to like me as that might mean the difference between Adrian going out with me or not. I don't remember exactly what he did but after a group of us were out one night I got the idea that I'd met with his approval and it would all be good. Khamla was out with us last night and the difference between him then and him now is striking. The good stuff all remained, and improved, as he became more comfortable with himself over the years and gained more confidence in himself. I love him and am so happy to have him in my life.
It was at Velvet where I met the one-balled wonder who drove up from Woodbridge a few nights later to my apartment to talk for a bit, give me a blowjob, ask me to take a trip to Quebec with him, then never call again.
It was at Velvet that I first met Richmond Michael in person. We had written e-mails before and soon after my first move to DC back in '99, but it wasn't until December that we finally met up. I still have the "candy" he gave me one night, a cute little bracelet he'd made for me (Michael was a candy raver in those days) and I always loved seeing him there because he was always so happy. We saw each other outside of the club, of course, but there was always something special about seeing him there. Michael really kept the flame of youth burning brightly inside me, reminding me that I didn't have to follow some preordained path through my 30s and into the inevitable "middle age" but instead could have the experiences I wanted to have and sample the things I wanted to sample regardless of my age. He has also made me feel over the years that I have made a positive difference in his life, and frankly, that's all I've ever wanted to do.
It was at Velvet that Dancin' Mike let me know that he liked me for who I was, not just as "a friend of a friend." He and Richmond Michael had stayed with me for a week in the spring of 2000 when they were each having trouble at home, and that was when I met Mike. I really liked him, he was such a nice guy (remember the cake!), and he seemed to like me too, but it was a stressful time for him so emotions can be hard to read. But at the end of that week we were all at Velvet where he told me how he respected me and was really comfortable with me and felt he could be open with me, and that really meant (and still means) a lot. He, too, makes me feel like I make a difference, and that means so much. I saw him there just last week and he was as fun as ever, and we saw him last night after he danced a wonderful show on the main stage. As I have for years, I continue to see so much potential in him, and I hope he sees it in himself.
It was at Velvet that I picked up a guy who later turned out to be Johnny Depp, finding it out only after we'd had really mind-blowing sex, then having him go back to women because he knew sex would never be as good with another man as it was with me. (OK, that didn't really happen, but c'mon, it could have. In an alternate universe.) Actually, I never once picked up anyone at Velvet and took him home. Since I was usually there until after 3am, taking someone home didn't really fit into my schedule.
But Velvet wasn't just about my connections to others. It was about my connection to myself.
It was at Velvet that I really began to enjoy dancing, to feel the energy of lots of other people around me and become a part of it, feeding off of it while feeding into it. Dancing is the only time I feel truly unconstrained, dropping away the pressures of work and school and daily life to just feel music running through me and let it carry me. I may look like a chicken with epilepsy, but it's ok because once I'm there I'm just about dancing. Nobody gives a damn about my job or my PhD at Velvet.
It was at Velvet that I became more comfortable with myself...I believe it's the first place I ever felt good about dancing without a shirt (the unfortunate incident in Atlanta is best forgotten by everyone). I didn't feel pressure to hit on anyone, I didn't feel like I was being judged (even though I'm sure I was), I didn't feel like I had to do anything but have fun. Other people go to clubs and get wrapped up in "the scene" and "drama" but for me it was about just feeling good about myself.
It was at Velvet that I experienced (without taking any) some idea about what it feels like to do ecstasy. Like I said, I didn't do it, I don't think I'd even had more than a beer to drink, but that night I experienced feelings I'd never had before and haven't had since. I even danced with glowsticks. (on a side note...does the death of Velvet finally mean an end to glowsticks? Nah, I don't think so either.)
Bottom line: this was a place that made me feel good about myself, especially at times when I really needed it. It helped me connect and grow closer with people in one environment in a way that translated to others. It gave me a break from the stress of working on my PhD. And most importantly, it introduced me to the love of my life, who is at the moment sitting 5 feet away and doesn't know I'm pausing every few seconds to stare at him.
For me, the end of Velvet may mean the end of warehouse clubs. Sure, when I make it back to London I'll definitely visit Heaven and G-A-Y, but there's no replacement in sight here in DC, and when I go to San Francisco or New York I tend to prefer somewhat smaller clubs with smaller dance floors and smaller crowds, like The Cafe and Badlands in SF and The Web in NYC. Maybe I'm done with this phase of my life. Velvet Nation was the first of the big clubs for me, and perhaps it should be the last. We'll see.
So now maybe you can see why the end of this place matters to me.
And maybe, just maybe, my ears will stop ringing by tomorrow.
Friday, July 14, 2006
I'm a Big Silly
So I ran into Giant the other day to grab some milk, some fruit, just a few things. I had trouble finding stuff, the layout wasn't like I remembered, guess my memory's fading. I grabbed my stuff and headed to the Express lane, though their definition of "Express" is quite a bit different from mine. I finally got to the front and swiped my Safeway discount card through the machine, then ran my credit card through it. It kept blinking and blinking at me, until finally the cashier said "that card's showing up as invalid, could you swipe it again?" I'd already put away my Safeway card so I decided to forget about the discount and just pay with my credit card, which worked.
Notice anything wrong there?
Like, I was in a Giant supermarket, but was attempting to use my Safeway supermarket card?
No wonder I had trouble finding things; I forgot which freakin' store I was in.
Yeah, I'm an idiot.
Oh, and we just came back from a date...dinner and a movie, nothing too fancy. Saw Superman Returns; maybe not the greatest movie ever made, but it's nice to see the big guy back on the big screen. Anyone notice anything about one of the black and white cell phone photos???
Notice anything wrong there?
Like, I was in a Giant supermarket, but was attempting to use my Safeway supermarket card?
No wonder I had trouble finding things; I forgot which freakin' store I was in.
Yeah, I'm an idiot.
Oh, and we just came back from a date...dinner and a movie, nothing too fancy. Saw Superman Returns; maybe not the greatest movie ever made, but it's nice to see the big guy back on the big screen. Anyone notice anything about one of the black and white cell phone photos???
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Bad Karma
Riding home on the Metro in the rain tonight I heard a guy say to his visiting sister-in-law, "I never thought I'd live here, and when we get weather like this, I wonder why I ever left New Orleans."
God help me, the first thought that popped into my mind was, "Because it was underwater?"
God help me, the first thought that popped into my mind was, "Because it was underwater?"
Friday, July 07, 2006
Short Week
This week has FLOWN by, due in no small part, I'm sure, to only working 3 days. Yay for government holidays!!
Mom's visit ended on a high note. We spent Tuesday at a museum near here and then Tuesday night, of course, was all about quesadillas and fireworks. Yeah, we had Mexican food and watched tennis from Britain with no Americans remaining before watching fireworks made in China. All to celebrate Independence Day. Hooah.
Anyway, another one of the arguments for buying this place has turned out to be true: we were able to see the fireworks stretching from the Mall in DC all the way down to cities south of us...at one point we were seeing about a dozen fireworks displays, from Maryland and DC as well as Virginia. Nature added her own fireworks with lightning toward the end (we had a storm earlier in the evening which cleared out in time for the show to go on) and it was all pretty fun to watch. We had decided at the last minute to call Angelo and Josh to come over, so we could share the anticipated spectacle with more than my mom, but they had apparently headed down to the Mall and for some strange reason they didn't drop everything and cancel their plans simply because we called and asked them to do something with no notice. How odd.
(ok, I'm being sarcastic there...yes, we should have called them much earlier)
Wednesday was a work day for both of us...in fact, it was Adrian's first day, and it was an 11-hour one at that, starting with a 90-minute commute (we've worked out a better system for the future) and ending with me picking him up at the Metro and then fixing steaks. He had a good day and we see some great potential in this job. As for me, I've been doing administrative stuff and getting up to speed on what's going on at work and what I'll be doing. It looks like I probably won't have any SE Asia trips for a while, maybe not even this year...I'll mostly be working here in DC and MAYBE taking a trip to Hawaii for a week in the fall. That's too bad, because in addition to doing some work in the field, I want to get to Bangkok and do some Christmas shopping this year.
A couple other things have popped up this week, really odd little occurrences that kinda make you think, but I'll save those and reflect on them a little more for now.
Mom's visit ended on a high note. We spent Tuesday at a museum near here and then Tuesday night, of course, was all about quesadillas and fireworks. Yeah, we had Mexican food and watched tennis from Britain with no Americans remaining before watching fireworks made in China. All to celebrate Independence Day. Hooah.
Anyway, another one of the arguments for buying this place has turned out to be true: we were able to see the fireworks stretching from the Mall in DC all the way down to cities south of us...at one point we were seeing about a dozen fireworks displays, from Maryland and DC as well as Virginia. Nature added her own fireworks with lightning toward the end (we had a storm earlier in the evening which cleared out in time for the show to go on) and it was all pretty fun to watch. We had decided at the last minute to call Angelo and Josh to come over, so we could share the anticipated spectacle with more than my mom, but they had apparently headed down to the Mall and for some strange reason they didn't drop everything and cancel their plans simply because we called and asked them to do something with no notice. How odd.
(ok, I'm being sarcastic there...yes, we should have called them much earlier)
Wednesday was a work day for both of us...in fact, it was Adrian's first day, and it was an 11-hour one at that, starting with a 90-minute commute (we've worked out a better system for the future) and ending with me picking him up at the Metro and then fixing steaks. He had a good day and we see some great potential in this job. As for me, I've been doing administrative stuff and getting up to speed on what's going on at work and what I'll be doing. It looks like I probably won't have any SE Asia trips for a while, maybe not even this year...I'll mostly be working here in DC and MAYBE taking a trip to Hawaii for a week in the fall. That's too bad, because in addition to doing some work in the field, I want to get to Bangkok and do some Christmas shopping this year.
A couple other things have popped up this week, really odd little occurrences that kinda make you think, but I'll save those and reflect on them a little more for now.
Monday, July 03, 2006
MomQuest 2006
Mom's visit is going well. Saturday night I took her out to dinner then we went to a movie, Prarie Home Companion, which features a couple of her friends. (and yes, Adrian and I saw that a week earlier, but I was up for seeing it again) Sunday morning the three of us went out to brunch at our favorite place and ate WAY too much, like we do there. We went down to the Spy Museum and snuck around there for a couple hours...none of us had been before and it seemed like the thing to do. I got a new cover identity there but I can't tell you what it is or I'd have to kill you.
We stopped off for groceries on the way home, Mom waiting in the car with the air conditioning and the newspaper while Adrian and I went in to get stuff for dinner. Naturally, a bad thunderstorm came along, and naturally, Mom's not real cool with thunder and lightening. She survived, though, as did Adrian and I when the grocery store lost power and went pitch black. And no, we didn't get caught making out when the lights came back on...we'd stopped by then.
Anyway, Adrian made a nice dinner (and I made dessert YAY!!!) and we had too much wine and hung out and that was good.
Today I took Mom to the Metro and said "the museums are that way." I had some things I needed to get ready for work on Wednesday so she planned to go in to the museums by herself today (no big deal, she used to live here so it's not like she doesn't know her way around). I ran some errands and we had lunch with Kevin at his partner's restaurant. We hadn't seen him since getting here...actually, we hadn't seen him in over a year so it was really good to hook up. I've known kevin longer than almost any other friend here, and it's wild because in the intervening years since we met we've each developed intersecting circles of friends. And now that Adrian and I are here, the world is in balance for the first time.
Off to bed now, Mom and I are hitting another museum Tuesday and then we're having dinner here and watching fireworks. It better not rain tomorrow night...after all, what's the point of buying an 18th-floor condo if you can't watch the fireworks???
We stopped off for groceries on the way home, Mom waiting in the car with the air conditioning and the newspaper while Adrian and I went in to get stuff for dinner. Naturally, a bad thunderstorm came along, and naturally, Mom's not real cool with thunder and lightening. She survived, though, as did Adrian and I when the grocery store lost power and went pitch black. And no, we didn't get caught making out when the lights came back on...we'd stopped by then.
Anyway, Adrian made a nice dinner (and I made dessert YAY!!!) and we had too much wine and hung out and that was good.
Today I took Mom to the Metro and said "the museums are that way." I had some things I needed to get ready for work on Wednesday so she planned to go in to the museums by herself today (no big deal, she used to live here so it's not like she doesn't know her way around). I ran some errands and we had lunch with Kevin at his partner's restaurant. We hadn't seen him since getting here...actually, we hadn't seen him in over a year so it was really good to hook up. I've known kevin longer than almost any other friend here, and it's wild because in the intervening years since we met we've each developed intersecting circles of friends. And now that Adrian and I are here, the world is in balance for the first time.
Off to bed now, Mom and I are hitting another museum Tuesday and then we're having dinner here and watching fireworks. It better not rain tomorrow night...after all, what's the point of buying an 18th-floor condo if you can't watch the fireworks???
Saturday, July 01, 2006
French Ostriches and First Days
After Thursday night, I definitely feel like I'm back in DC. So far, we've danced at Velvet Nation, had breakfast at Trio's with Tracy, gone to brunch at the Carlysle Grand, and now, finally, have had ostrich at La Fourchette, one of our favorite restaurants in the District. I say "favorite" because not only is it good, it's also (drum roll) affordable! Well, not on an "every night" basis, but still. We went with Fritz and Kim again, my old friend from Alabama who now lives in Hawaii and his girlfriend who's here in DC. (she and I may actually end up doing some work together) Fritz heads home this weekend so it was good to see him while we could.
Friday was my first day in the new job. I was supposed to start no later than the 30th of June, and hey, it's not MY fault that that's immediately followed by a 4-day weekend. I started the paperwork moving in the office for computer accounts, access badges, and the like. One of the things about working for the government in DC is that your agency is likely to be spread out over multiple buildings, so getting administrative work done can take some time and some commuting. On Wednesday I'll have some meetings with my new bosses, and on Thursday I should wrap up the administrative stuff, so hopefully by the end of next week I'll be able to get started on some projects. Interestingly enough (well, to me anyway, not to anyone else) there's been a shakeup in the office structure since I interviewed last January and there's now an extra layer between me and my boss. That means there's now someone over me who doesn't know anything about me or my skills, and that doesn't fill me with confidence. We'll fix that Wednesday.
Speaking of first days, Adrian went into the salon on Thursday for what was supposedly an audition but we were pretty sure he already had the job. He does, so YAY, he's employed, and he'll be starting sooner than he did when we got to Alabama or Colorado. He already has a couple clients scheduled. The schedule seems pretty good, and most importantly, he doesn't work every weekend, so it will be easier for us to get away. We hope. No word yet on how they feel about unpaid absences from work, and he doesn't earn paid vacation for a year.
Oh, I got an e-mail this morning from one of my old students who will be a senior next year. I think he wanted me but was too shy to say so, but then, I think that about all my cute students. And, for that matter, I think that about any cute guy I see. I probably should quit assuming that.
Adrian's been leading the effort this week to get everything settled in the condo. All our stuff is moved in, and I think we've filled up our storage area downstairs so now it's a matter of getting everything where it belongs. My mom arrives today for a visit so right now we're just worried about living space, and we'll take care of the details later. And then, this journal should get more interesting. :P
Friday was my first day in the new job. I was supposed to start no later than the 30th of June, and hey, it's not MY fault that that's immediately followed by a 4-day weekend. I started the paperwork moving in the office for computer accounts, access badges, and the like. One of the things about working for the government in DC is that your agency is likely to be spread out over multiple buildings, so getting administrative work done can take some time and some commuting. On Wednesday I'll have some meetings with my new bosses, and on Thursday I should wrap up the administrative stuff, so hopefully by the end of next week I'll be able to get started on some projects. Interestingly enough (well, to me anyway, not to anyone else) there's been a shakeup in the office structure since I interviewed last January and there's now an extra layer between me and my boss. That means there's now someone over me who doesn't know anything about me or my skills, and that doesn't fill me with confidence. We'll fix that Wednesday.
Speaking of first days, Adrian went into the salon on Thursday for what was supposedly an audition but we were pretty sure he already had the job. He does, so YAY, he's employed, and he'll be starting sooner than he did when we got to Alabama or Colorado. He already has a couple clients scheduled. The schedule seems pretty good, and most importantly, he doesn't work every weekend, so it will be easier for us to get away. We hope. No word yet on how they feel about unpaid absences from work, and he doesn't earn paid vacation for a year.
Oh, I got an e-mail this morning from one of my old students who will be a senior next year. I think he wanted me but was too shy to say so, but then, I think that about all my cute students. And, for that matter, I think that about any cute guy I see. I probably should quit assuming that.
Adrian's been leading the effort this week to get everything settled in the condo. All our stuff is moved in, and I think we've filled up our storage area downstairs so now it's a matter of getting everything where it belongs. My mom arrives today for a visit so right now we're just worried about living space, and we'll take care of the details later. And then, this journal should get more interesting. :P
