A Joke.

I'd be angry too at this, if someone dared to compare my family's honor to our dear and beloved John McCain. Yes, as you've probably guessed, I watched the debate. I really don't want to get into too much details about the issues that were brought up, if I do, this post will run for ages and bore the hell out of me. So instead, I'll do what I do best - mock the candidate I liked the least.
Seriously, though this was the first time I saw McCain speak for longer than five minutes and only now have I noticed how old he looks. And his doctors can publish a hundred more health reports, I won't be convinced otherwise... perception is, after all, everything.
If anyone asked me a week ago, I would say I didn't like either of the candidates - I thought Obama lacked experience and disagreed with the majority of McCain's propositions. Now however, I am leaning more and more towards Obama (I have to say having that insane deer-hunting Palin swung me towards Obama in almost an instant). However, on top of everything else, Obama has presence when he speaks which, in my eyes, means a lot since he will have to do hell of a lot of repair work with foreign nations. And having someone likable is a big plus when you are trying to win some respect back. One more thing I will say before shutting up on political issues - I really didn't like how McCain was trying to appeal to the public by answering the questions in a way that would please all. For instance, when Brokaw asked both to prioritize on energy, health care and entitlement issues, McCain claimed he can work on all three at the same time. Bullshit. These issues are far too big and important to tackle them simultaneously. What it's going to do is disperse the resources without fixing either one of them. And he was just as much a joke in many other issues, which I promised earlier not to address here.
At last, one interesting thing I noticed, was how the candidates each wore ties the color of their party. Understandable. What was more intriguing though, was that their wives wore dresses the color of the opposite party.
Coincidence? Or a blatant attempt to appeal to the other side?

Venting.

You know what annoys me the most? Right at this point, my manager. And the fact that she told me to come to work early today so "we can get on it as soon as possible", and then didn't show up herself until an hour and a half later.
Also, the fact that there was no need for me to come in this early anyway since nothing was going to be ready until this evening. Which she failed to mention yesterday. In all honesty, yesterday morning we were told everything we need was going to be done by 8am today, but she conveniently forgot to update me on the fact that they postponed the deadline by nine or so hours. As a result, I've been stuck here since 8am for no reason whatsoever.
So, to spite everyone, I've also been procrastinating for the past hour.
There, take that.

Absolutely amazing.

Slowly but surely I keep crossing things off my To Do list. This time, I can finally announce that I crossed off white water rafting. I went with a group of friends, seven of us altogether and the plan was to go for the weekend, camp and rest Friday, go rafting Saturday, coming back home Sunday afternoon.
I have to admit that my greatest fear going into it wasn't the one of drowning (an excellent swimmer as I am), but of freezing my butt off at night. And guess what, I was right... the weather during the day couldn't have been more beautiful, but as soon as the sun was down, the temperature dropped twenty or so degrees within ten minutes. Praise to whoever invented fire.
The trip down the river was breathtaking and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. The contrast of going into a rapid and knowing you may crash and sitting in the raft taking in the surrounding mountains was quite magnificent as was flying down the river at the rocks in front of you seeing them approach faster than you can blink. Thankfully, we did great thanks to our amazing skill and, most of all, to our amazing guide. That guy was forty years old and hot, hot, hot. More like sizzling. Which still haven't kept me warm at night. Nor did three pairs of pants, five shirts, two pairs of socks, a blanket, a sleeping bag and my friend I was sharing the tent with. Which brings me to my next point - it is cold no matter what you are wearing or how many beers you've had. Totally worth it though.
Now that I think about, I can cross off one more dream off my list, and that would be shooting a gun. Considering we were in West Virginia where people shoot them like it's no one's business, I didn't think it was a big deal if I tried it too. Honestly? An awesome experience. Forget the fact that I missed every single time I fired, it was still great. My excuse for missing? I was shooting a .44 caliber gun which was so heavy I could barely hold it with two hands and every time I'd fire it, the barrel kicked back so hard I was more worried of not dropping it. Fortunately, no one made fun of me. At least not to my face...
Waiting for pictures and the video now... To look at the raft from another perspective, so to speak.

Scarred For Life.

I went to Barnes and Noble last night to read the book I started a week earlier. I was hoping to finish it that same day since I wasn't interested in buying it. It was a decent story, but nothing overly exciting that's worth buying. Instead, I decided to spend three or so Sunday evenings and read it in there.
I got there early and my favorite armchairs were all occupied with people. I decided to make myself comfortable on the floor and wait until someone leaves to get coffee so that I can claim their spot. After about fifteen minutes, I got this opportunity. So did another girl and a guy... everyone except this lady who took her time getting up. She was left without a seat. I thought she was going to wait a little longer, but instead she told the guy she'd been waiting forever (not true, twenty minutes tops according to my observations) for a seat. I think the guy realized who he is dealing with and gave up his seat.
Next thing I know, the lady, carrying the same smug expression, got a little too comfortable in her chair and as she was trying to slide deeper in it, I caught a glimpse of her nasty off-white granny panties... I swear I think my jaw hit the floor from all the horror I endured in those two seconds.
I knew right then and there that there are two people who would appreciate what just happened to me. So I texted my friends R. and M. telling them all about my experience.
R.: Take a picture so you can have a reminder for the rest of your life.
M.: You should stop checking out old women.
Me: Oh yes, that is who I usually go for.
M.: They are pretty nice.
Me: I told my friend about it and she suggested taking a picture.
M.: I agree, you should have.
My friends are perverts. Why am I even friends with them?

As Inconsiderate As You Can Possibly Get.

I think I am literally fuming now. Now, today was supposed to be a nice and easy day that was supposed to end with a co-worker's baby shower and my early departure from work. However, as I was getting ready for some cake, I got a message from my friend who's trying to set me up with his friend. Don't ask me why since I never asked for it and not once hinted I wanted to meet them.
Him: By the way, my friend is coming over Monday.
We were supposed to meet up Monday night to do some catching up.
Me: What friend?
Him: The one I was talking about.
Me: And your friend just agreed to meet up without ever seeing me?
Him: Agreed?
Me: So?
Him: Showed a picture I had.
... Please note that he tells me that after I specifically told him not to send my picture to anyone. Ever. Especially without my consent. Never, ever...
Me: What picture?
Him: Well you asked me if I needed a picture, so I just used the one you had up online.
Me: I never asked if you needed a picture because I never intended to send you one.
Him: I asked if you wanted me to use the picture you had up or send me one. You never responded. I don't see a problem unless you expect people to meet you blind.
... That's the problem, really. I never meant to send anything.
Him: What's the issue?
Me: The issue is I don't like when people do something after I specifically told them not to. I never responded which means I never agreed to it.
Him: I just sent your face and nothing retarded. And I asked you several times for the picture and you never responded. If it was an issue you would have said something, was my thought.
Me: I never responded because you weren't supposed to send one!
Him: Yea, that makes sense. Silence is translatable. Deed is done, so you can keep worrying about it or not.
Me: It is very annoying when you go ahead and do shit like that.
Him: Sorry if I broke some rule but we have never tried this and I have no pictures that would illicit that rule so I don't know how I am supposed to know not to share pictures I don't have.
...That's the thing though. I am wondering where he got the picture that he's supposedly doesn't have. He can't even keep up his own story straight.
Me: So exactly which picture did you send?
Him: I used the one in your profile.
Bullshit. My profile is private and there is no way he could get a picture from there. So there is another lie. In addition to the one claiming he thought I wanted to share my picture.
At this point, all I want to do is cancel the whole thing altogether...

Cables.

I swear one of these days I am going to break my neck with all the cables I have at work. Let's see, there is an Internet cable, a phone cable, a laptop cable, security lock, some other crap... I feel like my entire company's network is connected through my desk. And naturally, the day hasn't gone by that I haven't tripped on one of them. Today, I almost fell off my chair when the Internet cable got entangled in one of the wheels and got stuck, just as I was trying to roll it to the other side of my desk.
My co-worker heard me swear when I almost lost my balance and asked what was going on.
Her: You have too many of those under your desk. Call maintenance so they can come over and tape them.
Me: Yea, I guess...
Her: Or you can just wait till you trip and break something and sue the company.
Me: Yes this is such a great idea.
Her: Well, if you get a million in settlement, you won't have to work anymore.
Me: A million won't do it for me.
Her: True. But at least you will be able to work part time.
I think flu she just had altered her thinking process. Otherwise, how do you explain her coming up with these ideas...

Wild Berries.

My friend called me yesterday afternoon complaining of some minor stomach pains. Fast forward a few hours and the last I heard it turned into a major food poisoning. By this morning it still hadn't gone away. About which he felt the need to promptly inform me at 7:30 in the morning. Looking back, I am somewhat grateful to him for somewhat waking me up. If it weren't for his text, I would be significantly late for work. This way, it was only half an hour.
I sent him a text back mid-morning to see how things are going
Me: Feeling better?
Him: No. Now I have a better understanding of what death feels like.
Me: You liking that bed now?
Him: Yes, but I still feel sick. Maybe some junk food will help.
Me: Yes, you should stuff yourself with junk food so you can't even lie on your stomach. That way you'll be moaning about something else.
Turns out, he took my advise to heart because this is what I got a few minutes ago
Him: Junk food didn't help. I am aching all over.
Me: Did anyone else get food poisoning at the golf course?
Him: Not that I know of.
Me: What the hell did you eat? Did you go picking wild berries in the woods?
Him: Ugh...
I take it as a "No". I also guess he didn't really like my little joke.
The only other alternative I have is to offer to come over and rub his tummy.
You think he'll go for it?

Gay Town.

My friend is planning her birthday celebration for this weekend. As a result, I've been bombarded with a number of text messages asking me about certain places we may go to and trying to get some suggestions as to where to go (reminiscent of my other friend who thinks I have been to every single lounge in DC).
Today was no exception. I received another text asking me about this place called C*. Well, for starters, I haven't even heard of it which in itself is a huge surprise. Turns out, it opened up in place of D*. in Dupont.
Her: So how is this C*?
Me: I've never been to the renovated place so I wouldn't know. The old one was decent.
Her: Isn't it like a gay town over there?
Me: Well, the concentration is certainly higher, but there are still plenty of hot single guys there for you and me.
Her: Darn, then I should leave my boyfriend home.
Me: I like your thinking.
The girl catches up fast.

Suspicions.

I just got an email from the Fitness Center at work stating they would be closed starting next week until late October.
Granted, the reason they gave was to complete the renovations in the locker rooms and to replace the hardwood floors in the workout areas. However, I still wonder if it has anything to do with the recent market turmoil and cost cutting measures I keep hearing on every corner about. On the second thought, why do renovations and replacements if they are about to close it for good. I emailed A. and apparently she thinks they are closing it down. When I brought up my point about them doing some constructions there and their promise to open it up in October, she said, " I tend not to believe everything I read. Especially recently."
Yea, neither do I.
Lately.

Irate.

I've been following Wall Street Journal closely over the past several weeks amid the continuous collapses in the market. What annoys me the most (besides the abundance of recycled information), is how the authors refer to these mysterious "people familiar with the matter".
Why won't at least one of them come forward and name themselves? For all I know, it's a construction worker who overheard the conversation while sharing a cigarette with the bankers.

Debate/Yahoo Answers Answer-Off.

I was having a discussion with E. until 2a.m. last night. The hot question was the number of partners one had. Surprisingly, we managed to reach agreement (perhaps it was due to the late hour and our mutual desire to get to bed). However, the question continued to bug me all morning and in absence of other ideas, I decided to ask the community. Also known as Yahoo Answers. I find it to be mildly entertaining and marginally educational.
I decided to stick with the basics and asked how many sexual partners is too many, how many had one had, and was it too many and why.
My favorite answers without any particular order (with my comments in parenthesis). Just some information for thought...
- There is no such concept... I would have to sit down and think hard about how many and it's too early for that so ... a lot. (1p.m. is not too early, even for me)
- One, about three months after I met him. We have been together four years and are engaged. I am very happy I waited. (awesome, congratulations, send me an address and I will send a wedding card)
- Forty five or fifty. And I am still looking for my next one! I don't know if it's too many, but there were some that I would just as soon not remember. (alcohol does wonders)
- You should only have one. (as my friend pointed out, go back to Utah, you Mormon)
- Do you mean at once? (hands down the best answer)
- Too many people to sleep with would be more than one could fit on one hand. (took me a while to figure out exactly how many that is, on the second thought 1p.m. is too early)
- I've only slept with my fiance, and that was almost three years after we got together, and we're getting married next year... He saved himself too, and I can tell you it's way worth it to wait, I love it. (can't say it's way worth it if you have nothing to compare it to)
- I think three or four is too many. You don't know what the other people might have had and given them. One or two is okay. (ever heard of condoms)
- To me, more than ten people is kind of pushing it. However, as long as it is safe sex with condoms and all that, then really I don't see anything wrong with it. If someone wasn't being safe, then it would be worse. I have slept with two people in my life. But I'm also only nineteen, and I really don't think that's too many. I've had opportunities to sleep with more people and chose against it. (no, two is just fine for a nineteen year old)
- I always believed that it was special to wait until you are married to have sex, but everybody has a different opinion. (at least she acknowledges that others can have an opinion)
- Two is to many because you're only to have sex with your married partner. And you are not suppose to get divorced, so one is enough. (Utah is calling, they're missing someone)
- Let's just say I've had several, more than five. I don't really regret anyone, except for three. I was young and naive, and I should have waited until I was older. I'm engaged now, and really wish I didn't have some of those guys on my list... (weren't we all young and naive once)
- I don't really think that there is too many to sleep with. It's a normal thing people do. If you're able to do so, go ahead. As long as you're not married or in a relationship, I say go for it. I myself (since you asked) have slept with about thirty different people and on different occasions, within the last four years. Right now I am in a relationship with a kid on the way. So I am stopping for at least a while, if not for good. Have to see where this road leads. Well hope this helped. (how about the total number, not just in the last four years)
- I don't think that a certain number is too many. I think I slept with around eighteen people. I don't think I slept with too many because I don't regret any of them. I enjoyed myself with everyone (even if I can't remember his name). When I was younger I thought that if a girl slept with a certain number of guys then something is wrong - she must be a slut. Then I realized that thinking was childish because it doesn't matter how many people other people have slept with. It doesn't affect me in any way, so I got off my high horse. (there are some good points here)
- I haven't slept with anyone, and too many is three. I was about to say two but you never know what your man can do. He might turn to a bad and abusive guy, so people deserve a second chance. (what if both of them are bad and abusive)
- Six, since I lost my virginity a year ago. Now I am in a committed relationship, so I was happily forced to slow down. (one every two months... cheers)
- I've been with one guy, and that's my husband. I'm glad it's just been him. (again, cheers)
- Most women have had about a dozen partners before they're married. So, for women, twenty is pushing the envelope. The same with men, except most men have about half a dozen sexual partners before marriage. (I thought men were the sluts on this universe)
- In my opinion, a lot of outside information is needed to determine how many is "too many". For instance, if I heard from an eighteen year old that he/she has slept with ten people, I might think that is pushing it. However, if a fifty year old lifetime bachelor has slept with ten people, it's not a big deal. I think it would also depend on the situations in which the person was having sexual relations. For example, a twenty five year old single male could have many previous sexual partners. Whereas a twenty five year old male, who has been married for five years, may have considerably less. As long as you aren't uncomfortable with the number of sexual partners you have had, no one else should matter. I have only slept with two people. I don't think that is too many. Of course, I am only eighteen. Some people may consider it too many, but that is their business. Good luck! (ten for a life long bachelor... yes, sure)
- I'm at about seventeen and I feel like that's way too many. I regret a lot of them, mostly because with half of them I only slept with once. I wasn't a slut at all, I just didn't make the right decision all the time. But you live and you learn, and I'm engaged now and don't need to worry about it again. However, I've got a few friends that are close to a hundred and that's just sick. (yes, an eighteen year old with a hundred partners is disturbing... but a life long bachelor...)
- Does it matter, if it's safe? Then again, depending on who wants to know. It's a very strong possibility that one can forget the numbers and lose track. So, after much analysis and according to a jury's verdict, there isn't a designated number and it is solely based on the individual. (again, good point here)

Can You Tell I Went to College?

Otherwise, how else would I be able to come up with such phrase as "I think something rained on it" when referring to wet matches laying on the picnic table...
Oh how I needed this validation!

Free Fall.

Always fascinated with this girl's voice...

A.'s Dream.

I got a text message from my friend A. this morning. It read, "I had a dream about you last night and missed my alarm this morning". Naturally I asked him to tell me about the dream, provided it wasn't inappropriate.
"No, it is not nasty, just weird, and you're going to laugh at me".
"I promise I won't".
So here's what he told me in the course of a dozen text messages...
You and I were driving in my car and we have been driving for more than an hour but we were still in Maryland for some reason. We went to this nice restaurant, it was beautiful and the weather was too... It was around 7pm, perfect time, the sun was fading in the sky and it had a nice reddish sunset look to it... This restaurant was by the water and we were about to order, and we ordered and I was staring at you and thinking, "She looks so good" (you were wearing a green top with some nice jeans and you had some summer heels - your top was kind of like a slip on, no straps). And then we were eating some seafood and other stuff and we were having a good time... and then all of a sudden it was 7:30am this morning so I had to rush to work. Basically, I woke up very late and it was very romantic. I was thinking, "What is it?" but I couldn't help it and just went with it, and I didn't want to wake up because I was busy dreaming while ignoring my alarm...
Now, that definitely makes me want spring to come even stronger.
In the meantime, I told him we should make this dream a reality. I just need to buy a green tube top. Because, apparently, the blue, white, grey, black, navy and red that I have just didn't appear in his dream...
Why couldn't he dream of one of these colors? Puzzles me...

The first time.

Guess what just happened?
I just won two box tickets to the basketball game for next Saturday! Yay. And yes, I don't even watch basketball, but that is so not the point right now. But this is all about experience, and not whether you like a certain thing or not. After all, up until this past October, I've never seen a football game, but after going to the game, I changed my opinion about it and was glued to the tube when the Superbowl was on. So who knows, maybe I'll become just as engaged with basketball... And if not, oh well, I still get to chill out with some food and drinks in a nice setting. And by the way, I checked out the suite, and it looks pretty awesome. I actually cannot wait to go now.
In the meantime, I need to find someone for that second ticket who's just as bored as I am to go to the game. Maybe I'll ask A.
And by the way, did I mention I have a crush on my co-worker? Well, yes I do. I told N. about it and she insisted I make the first move. One thing she fails to understand though is the fact that we work together and I run into him sometimes. Therefore if I get rejected it will be pretty awkward running into him. It's not like a four year old situation with A. when I told him I liked him, but then never saw him again... except for that date we went on. That was different and I wouldn't mind doing it now if I knew I had a space to back out if needed. Here, I don't have that kind of luxury. So now, I am only left with occasional glimpses in the cafeteria or hallways.
In her defense, she did say she wished she could have done something about it...

A very belated celebration.

My friend A. finally decided to celebrate his birthday. As I usually say, better later than never. Because in reality, his actual birthday was almost three weeks ago. He wanted to celebrate it the weekend following the day but I was leaving for my trip just then and definitely couldn't attend. As a result, he decided to postpone it for a bit so that we can have a proper celebration. And finally, the day has come.
I noticed one weird thing, even though A. and I are very good friends, we don't go out together that often. When we do meet up, it's mostly for lunch, or dinner-movie combination, or a local bar, at most. Maybe it's because he's a homeboy, or perhaps it's due to the length of time I've known him and the way our friendship started off.
But I am getting side-tracked here. After much hesitation and going back and forth, we decided to go to [DC lounge] I used to frequent last summer. However, one of his friends got their earlier and apparently the place was packed so everyone promptly changed their plans and went to Georgetown to a place where (gasp) I haven't been before. It was a very nice and cozy lounge and the one thing I liked about it was the fact that the crowd was more sophisticated, shall I say... OK, sophisticated is not the right word here... upscale and grown up, perhaps. It was about eight of us there, but I mostly spent time with A. and his friend P. Even though I've never met her before, I ended up having a blast... although now that I think about it, not knowing someone has never stopped me from having a good time in the past. A.'s other friend disappeared somewhere with her boyfriend, so by the middle of the night, it was only three of us left. And honestly, I don't even want to know how much our tab was. The funny thing was, throughout the night, P. kept telling me how nice and cool I am... well, duh... and then A. said she told him the same thing. Well, I am glad we clicked.
Afterwards, we went to grab a bite and then I was off and A. left to drop P. off. I told him to text me once he was home since I knew he doesn't drink that often and, umm did I mention about the bar tab? I made it home pretty fast though... although who would've expected something different at 4am, and fell asleep while waiting for his text. The next morning, or rather afternoon, I finally got it. As I expected, he had to stay with P. for a little while before he could make sure she was in the right condition to drive home. Oh well, it's all good as long as no one gets hurt in the end. He also didn't fail to mention that she said she "absolutely loved hanging out"... really, did he expect it to be any different... hanging out with charming me, that was the only outcome possible.
Seriously though, I just realized it was the first time I met A.'s friends... well, technically second but the first time I met them, I was in no state to network with anyone.

Just a thought.

A bit of the background: I just resumed my house search and therefore spend a lot of time on various realtor websites doing my research on mortgages, market conditions and properties.
In addition to the houses I can actually afford, I browsed some that are out of my price range, just to see what "could have been" or for what exactly people are willing to pay a certain amount of money. Just now I stumbled upon a house worth $85 million... the damn place has an intercom... But of course since without it people in the kitchen won't know what people in the living room are doing.
And here's a scary thought, I actually found half a dozen countries whose GDP is lower than that, and another dozen that's only twice as much. And I am talking about entire nations here. You can probably feed half of African countries with the monthly payments on that house. Don't even have to involve the United Nations or World Hunger Relief Fund.
That could be one way to put an end to starvation of millions and millions of people... For a mere price of one house...
Just some food for thought... no pun intended.

Mystery man.

This time, it was R.'s birthday. And for the first time, I have to admit, I was nervous. I know I sounds as if it's a date but it was the first time I was meeting her mother..ugh talk about dating. And even though I don't think her opinion would have any reflection on our relationship, I wouldn't want to make a bad impression... Just in case.
We all went to a cozy restaurant in DC, just off Connecticut. Me, the usual self, was late, although this time only fifteen minutes or so and when I got there, R., R. and her mother were there. S. wasn't. R. said he called to tell her something came up and that he was running late. Nevertheless, we decided to start without him since no one knew when he was supposed to show up. The food was mediocre, and the wine was terrible but other than that, we had a great time for the next few hours. Since we finished dinner early, around 11pm or so, R. and I decided to visit a nearby bar, while R. volunteered to drive R.'s mother home.
-Will you drop R. off after you're done? - the mother asked me.
-No, I am just going to leave her in the middle of the street, - the smart ass me replied. I got a feeling she didn't like it. Oh well.
And so we were off to the bar. By the way, S. never showed up and ignored all R.'s calls. On our way to the bar, I told her about all the crap that happened on the trip and frankly, she was shocked. It did, however softened the blow of him not showing up to congratulate her...
We finally made it to O.E. (and found a parking, too). The bar was very nice and inviting. It was actually a restaurant that turned into the bar on weeknights and weekends. We found two bar stools, got some wine and carried on with our conversation. I haven't seen R. for a while so we had stuff we had to catch up on. I was finishing up my wine and we were about to leave afterwards when the bartender poured me another glass.
-I didn't order any more wine.
-This is the compliments of the gentleman on the other end of the bar.
Oh, OK. Now we had to stay so I could finish the wine, because it was awesome anyway. Plus, I wanted to thank the guy, whoever he may be. So I turned to "the other end of the bar", and saw four "gentlemen". Interesting... whom am I supposed to thank now? Regardless, I waived in that direction and smiled. I figured, whoever sent the drink, would smile back. I was right. Except, two of them waived back... OK, that is not good. Still, feeling as if I've accomplished what I set out to do, I turned my attention back to R. and we stayed at the bar for another half an hour or so until I finished my drink. As we were about to leave, several guys passed us by, and I heard one of them say, "You're welcome".
Well, that settles it.

The actual experience.

So on Wednesday, I allowed myself to ramble on about all the crappy things that happened during the trip. Today, I will focus on the positives, which were plentiful, too.
If I could, I swear I would live there for several months out of a year. Seriously. It is so peaceful and relaxing. It seems like people there have only three speeds, "Slow", "Stop" and "Reverse". And while it's frustrating when you are trying to buy something, it is super calming when it comes to all other aspects. It was such a drastic change from the forever-hectic DC that I was pleasantly surprised.
As I mentioned previously, we went diving every day. We left our hotel at 8am and didn't get back until 6pm. It was a pretty gruesome schedule but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Except, maybe, skydiving... The whole experience of being on the boat, sitting in the back and feeling the sun and salt water on your face was absolutely amazing. Nothing relaxes you more than being underwater, too. It is just unbelievably beautiful and peaceful. It seems as if time itself slows down. I spent anywhere from forty minutes to an hour at a time underwater, and every time it seemed as if only ten minutes have gone by.
The shark dive was also memorable. We actually did two, one regular and one where we fed them. Well, not we per se, but we were watching as they were given fish. My family said I am crazy when I told them I wanted to try it, but really, it was the only reason I went there in the first place. The sharks could care less about us, and did not pay any attention to people swimming past them. Once, I almost landed on it though... I don't think it would have liked it but thankfully I noticed the shark underneath me and managed to get away in time. During the feeding, there were probably around fifty sharks swimming around , once again, completely ignoring us. I sneaked in to pet one even though I wasn't supposed to... my bad. It was really smooth. Not slimy at all, like a grouper than I also touched several times. I think he liked the attention, cause he kept coming back and circling me. The only part that sucked was that it was freezing since we couldn't move around much. Not that anyone wanted to move seeing all these creatures swimming around. At the end of the dive, I managed to find a shark's tooth, which I was very excited about. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who found it, since they lose a lot of teeth when they are eating... so it took away from my thrill a bit. But no big deal. I saved it for later anyway.
The ship wrecks and an airplane wreck were exciting too, although I cut my hands pretty bad when I grabbed some railing trying to move forward. I forgot that it would be very rusty having laid there for who knows how many years.
The damn sun and my subsequent sunburn also ruined all my plans for a date with our boat captain. On our first day diving, he invited me for a night out on a town. Well, first, he somewhat casually inquired if I were married, and when I said no, told me he would like to take me out to show me the island. I was only too happy to accept, but when I woke up the next day and realized how badly I burned, I had to play it down and decline the offer. Damn it, he was so cute... I am still somewhat upset about it.
As a final aftermath of my trip, I got a haircut. The reason being is the same damn sunburn that kept me away from my would-be-fling. So now I am rocking a new hairdo and pretending I intended it to look this way from the start.

Unaccustomed.

It's amusing how quickly I forgot what it is having a nasty weather and pouring rain. But it is exactly what I came home to last night. It was such a harsh transition from what seemed to be an eternal sunshine that my mood sunk just as fast as rain droplets disappeared in puddles I was passing by. Don't you just love it when you're in this philosophical mood...
I'll try to make everything as compact as possible. Hopefully, no more than two posts.
So, last Wednesday night, after I was finally done with my packing (I hate packing, by the way), I went to DC to meet several friends and make my last night before departure as entertaining as possible. I finally made it there by 12:30am (whose fault is it that I started packing at 11PM?) when everyone was already there. As soon as I got there, I found R. and R. and also ran into M., who apparently just came back from overseas as well. We all proceeded downstairs where we found S. and as R. and R. joined him on the dance floor, M. and I made our way to the bar. We chatted up a bit and I found out that he is going back in a few weeks. Perfect life... paid vacations and spending more time outside of work than at it.
Soon thereafter, R. and R. left, but we stayed till the place closed down. That was a bad decision number one. S. was dragging his feet and we didn't get out of there until 3am. On our way to pick up the equipment, I found out that he didn't even pack. Bad decision number two. I could understand if he was working earlier and didn't have time, but I knew for sure he was off that day, so I couldn't comprehend the fact that he wasn't ready yet. Because of that, we left the house late and were doing 90-something miles an hour in order to drop my car off and still make it to the airport. Trust me, it's not the best way to go at 4am on the empty roads when you had several drinks. I just don't get it.
We made it to National an hour before the plane's departure. It was just our luck that the plane was delayed and we got some extra time to get the tickets and check in our luggage. One observation I made though, was that during out long luggage haul through the airport, S. didn't offer his help once. Not once. Despite the fact that I had two huge bags and a carry-on, and he was twice my size. I have to admit it, it ticked me off. Perhaps it's just me, but in my world, guys offer their help if they see the girl is struggling with something. I never had it happened where I went on a vacation or was simply carrying heave bags when a guy was there. They would always offer their help. Not him. And I am saying that not because I hypothetically couldn't carry the bags myself. No, it is just a common courtesy to offer some help. And going a bit ahead of myself, he never offered any help. Not when we were changing planes in Philly, not on our way back. Anyhow, moving on.
We got to our hotel that afternoon and the first thing I wanted to do was go downtown and walk around a bit since we weren't supposed to be doing anything that Thursday. The first thing S. wanted to do was to get food and go to sleep. Really, is that why people go on vacation? To sleep? After almost half an hour of convincing him, we went downtown to grab some food and look around. Oh well, at least I got something out of it.
The next few days were pretty much a blur, since all we did was dive. We spent every day on the boat enjoying the weather. At the end of the day, I wanted to go out, but S. was always tired and didn't express any desire to go anywhere, so we stayed in watching TV and eating pizza. Fun... The Sunday morning before we left, he said he wanted to go out once we get back from the ocean. However, as soon as we got home that afternoon, he went to bed without mentioning anything. The next day, he asked why I didn't wake him up. Really, did he actually get a nerve to ask me that? Normally, when a person goes to sleep without telling me to wake them up, I assume they don't want to do anything... That's a reasonable assumption, right? Well, according to him, I was supposed to wake him up. That's not the rule in my world, I'm sorry. Usually, when a person tells me something, I rely on them to follow through with it. Not the other way around.
Honestly speaking, by Monday I was happy I was going home. Back to my world.
Our flight back was a bit bumpy, but it didn't matter since I was looking forward to going home. I did manage to buy the last-minute souvenirs for my family in case they try to guilt me about it later...
OK, enough for this post, it's already runneth over.

Lacking.

I haven't established what exactly, but I certainly have been over the past three weeks. It's been dull and monotonous like never before. Although I do say it quite often. I guess I can never get used to boredom. Plus, the damn Valentine's Day is coming up. Sometimes I want to slap the person who invented it. Not only because I do not believe in expressing your love in the form of standardized heart-shaped boxes of candy and red roses, but also due to the fact that I always manage to end up single by the mid-month. Take the past five years, for example. In 2002, I was single but have met this cute army boy by the end of the month as I was getting my tattoo done. Next year, I have just broken up with J., who I have to admit was my rebound from R. 2004 was the year when I miscalculated a guy's feelings for me when I told him I liked him only to find out that he didn't, but still ended up going out with him and his friends for dinner and drinks. Nothing came out of that though. In 2005, I was briefly seeing L. who was another rebound from R., so naturally I wasn't interested in celebrating anything. The end of January 2006 was the time when B. and I have broken up because he wanted something more serious and I didn't. And finally, last year I was dating A. but we did not get serious enough by Valentine's and once again the celebration fizzled. That makes it six years actually, but you get the point. And for the list to be complete, in 2001 I was seeing A. (or M., I don't recall exactly) but we've also broken up a week before the 14th. So there's no wonder that I feel somewhat hostile towards this holiday and cannot wait till it passes.
The only thing I am truly looking forward to is my vacation to Nassau. At least it starts in exactly twelve hours. Give or take two. We decided to go out tonight since it is Wednesday anyway, and then go to the airport straight from the club since our plane leaves at 6am. If everything goes according to the plan, we will leave at 3:30am, and be at the airport by 4:30am the latest. As long as S. packs and does everything he needs to do tomorrow. Hopefully...
But going back to boredom. I haven't been posting lately since nothing exciting happened at work, at home or in my personal life. I've also been staying in a lot lately since it is way too cold to venture outside anyway. I've dropped all the guys and have been enjoying a single life again. Except, enjoying is not the right word since, I don't know if I mentioned it, but it has been pretty dull lately. I still have my work crush to dwell on though. Seriously, why can't I for once fall for the person who falls for me and stop creating these weird triangles? Regardless, I am taking a break from everyone and everything. I do need some time to think and get away and think over a lot of stuff that has happened lately. This vacation actually comes pretty handy right about now. I have very mixed feelings about a lot of people right about now and being away from them would help me evaluate the situation and maybe even find a solution. Or at least figure out how I really feel about them.
I will be back next Monday with details.
Oh and did I mention it has been... umm... dull lately?
Damn, I am so eloquent!

Robbing the cradle.

After a lot of going back and forth as well as several cancellations, never mind the late night drunk dialing, I finally met Baby M., the 18 year old. Despite multiple reservations, he actually turned out to be laid back. Maybe not as cool as I imagined he would be. And probably way too laid back for me... Bottom line is, I'd have him as a friend but it's almost certainly as far as that will go.
My friend, having my best interests in heart, sent me this article from Wikipedia discussing age disparities in relationships. According to it, I am not even supposed to be dating people that young. The article claims that a good rule of thumb when it comes to judging age appropriateness in intimate relationships is half-your-age-plus-seven. Therefore, I am only supposed to be dating people who are 19 or older. So, according to the experts, Baby M. is out of picture. Well, I am glad they agree with me on something.
Realistically, I don't mind the age difference, be it up or down. What I do look out for, is that our personalities click. After all, age is just a number, and during my short lifetime, I dated anyone from a year or two younger than me to up to twelve years older.
In any case, me breaking off with him went much smoother than I expected and definitely better than with some of my more mature exes. When he asked me out again, I told him "I'm sorry but I don't think the attraction is there". He said it's not a problem and wished me luck. And that's it! There was no "How can you"s or "Why don't we give us another chance"s. No screaming and throwing things... OK I am exaggerating this, but you get the point. Calm, mature response from someone who is barely allowed to smoke.
What can I say... I wish everyone behaved like that.

Sonne.

An interesting twist to a Snow White story who OD'ed on drugs. Despite a very dark and somewhat weird video, the song is very nice, if one would believe its translation. After all, what can be more inspiring and bright than the sun?

The Embodiment of the Boogeyman.

I was eight when I heard the song, and even though I have never been scared of the dark, I slept with my door open for the next week.
I wonder if the band couldn't come up with any more fatal scenarios...

An infamous Happy Hour.

Who would have thought that I am working with such adventurous people. Last Friday, after an extremely busy couple days, a few of my co-workers decided to organize a happy hour as a well deserved treat for everyone... except the company wasn't paying for it. But no matter, A. and I decided to go anyway. K. was away somewhere, so it was only the two of us from our team, a few consultants and a bunch of guys from other teams. Overall, about ten to twelve people. You know, I've been to several outings with my old company and thought that those get pretty crazy, but realized that they were nothing compared to this one.
To start off, it was a ten hour long happy hour. Yes, ten hours. I am amazed at the human ability to consume alcohol with virtually no food and still be able to drive afterwards. With almost no consequences. Truly, homo sapience is an amazing and mysterious creature. So, we started off at G&B nearby our office and stayed there until 9pm or so.I have to admit I learned a lot of things about my co-workers, and maybe a little bit more than I intended about some of them. As such, I met some of their families... It was fun though and we kept alternating shots with beer and with drinks. Which is not an ideal combination so I was really surprised that by the time the majority of people left, I was still able to stand up. Our bill looked ridiculous though... the shots list alone was about a foot long. And I won't even mention the total amount we had to pay.
Afterwards, as most of the crowd went home to their wives who've apparently been calling them for the past hour or so inquiring about their whereabouts, the single crowd decided to keep the party going. Well, not necessarily single per se, but as A. pointed out, "As long as I don't have a ring on my finger and my boyfriend is overseas, I am single". There were a lot of other insinuations about her relationship with him, but I think everyone was pretty much stuck at that phrase of hers and ignored her weak attempts to rehabilitate herself. And she also confessed that she actually goes by a different name so from now on, everyone calls her M. Until we decide to change it again. Which K. already have done today during lunch. So now we call her Julie... She doesn't mind. I think she secretly loves it, too.
Anyhow, yes, the single crowd headed to a nearby bar. Where, as you have guesses correctly, we kept drinking and checking the guys out (the female part of the group, i.e. A. and myself dear). I think it would be fair to say that A. and M. (the male counterpart) were checking out the girls. However, I can't be certain here since I was too busy staring at some handsome guy by the bar. Or rather, checking out his backside. I do want to point out in my defense, that I've had several beers, several drinks and at least three shots by that point. So staring was more than acceptable at that point.
We stayed there for another two or three hours and if you think we headed home afterwards, you are wrong. Well, some of us did. And everyone else went to their house, too. To the senior manager house, that's right. I don't know what we were thinking at that point. We probably weren't anymore, though thanks to the massive quantities of alcohol we had in our systems. It was M.'s fault though since he baited us with red wine he supposedly had in his apartment. He also warned us to ignore his pink bathroom which I still can't get over. Anyhow, another thirty minutes and we were at his place. As you might have guessed, we opened up a bottle of wine as soon as we got there. We also popped some movie in the DVD player and started playing cards... not that I knew the rules but it didn't matter at that point. I think the game was based on sheer luck and had virtually no strategy. But maybe I am just saying that because I didn't win. Not once. A. passed out very soon thereafter and would throw a card or two on the table every time we would wake him up... Hilarious. We took some pictures of him sleeping on the couch. By the way, A. is our director. So yes, it does get better than the senior manager.
Around 4am we finally decided it was time to call it a night. Besides, I started feeling the buzz and knew that if I have another glass of wine, I'll be drunk. I didn't want to go there, so A. and I bowed out. A. went with us, too. Poor kid had to drive forty miles to get home though... I felt bad for him...
I got home and fell asleep immediately, still fully clothed. I decided right then and there that if I can party with these people for ten hours, then I can sure as hell work with them too. And I will be making fun of A.'s comments about her boyfriend as long as she works there.
Earlier today at work, I saw A., he needed my help with a project. When I asked him how he got home, he said, "OK", ten second pause, "I think".
That said it all. I have nothing to add.

An attack of the bride.

Two brides, really.
It will be one expensive celebration. Actually two. Recently, two of my friends announced they are getting married. As much as I despise marriage, I am wholeheartedly happy for them and wish them the best. Problem is, both of them decided to do the ceremony in some exotic places. One in either Mexico, Puerto Rico or US Virgin Islands, and another in India. The real issue is, I have to attend both weddings - I am a bridesmaid in the first one and a maid of honor in the second (or an equivalent in this case, since it seems to be a traditional Indian weddings without bridal party). I think they decided to get married to surely and inadvertently break my budget. Technically I wouldn't mind travelling overseas this year, but with my upcoming February trip and a house purchase (keeping my fingers crossed), I don't think it will be at all possible. According to some very modest calculations and my old friend Orbitz, the first trip will run me about $1000, and the second may end up being around $2000. And that does not include presents and such... A bit too steep for a wedding, if you ask me. It's just me, but I do think that if you choose to have a wedding somewhere overseas, you need to consider the means of your guests and how you can assist them with the trip, be it covering a part of it, or finding a bundle deal with some discount travel agent. I do realize that people want this day to be special, but they also have to acknowledge that others, even though happy to share the celebration with them, cannot necessarily afford spending around $3000.
Actually, I take it back. A few minutes ago, I went back to another old friend of mine, Yahoo Answers. True, I usually do when I am bored at work and want to have some fun reading the most ridiculous questions ever. However, sometimes their advice is sound and priceless. So I asked if people think it is reasonable to ask to spend this much on the trip and if it's polite to decline even though you are in the bridal party. It's only been ten minutes or so, but I already got more than a dozen answers, and all of them agreed it would be perfectly fine to decline the invitation. And even though I don't want to decline it, I do think that the way I will be able to go there is if I get some help with expenses.
What a dilemma... and whatever happened to good ol' DC?

Tough life.

Seriously, I am still at work. It was somewhat funny around 9pm, somewhat tragic closer to 10pm. Now, it's almost imcomprehensible. And on top of everything, it seems like we're going to be here for another couple hours. That's it, next time I am bringing my pajamas here with me. Because the only thing I can think of right now is how much I want to get out of my clothes and shoes and change into something more comfortable and cozy. I even tried to take a nap a few hours ago, but it is virtually impossible in these office chairs wearing my stupid stiletto heels. Not that I don't love them. But definitely not at this moment.
As one might have guessed, my work adventure continues. I lost contact with pretty much everyone in the past few days. My weeks go somewhat like this: work, sleep, get up in the morning, work, sleep, repeat. Nothing even remotely exciting. Well, maybe one thing is. I met this new guy, and he seems pretty cool and laid back. But he is 18 years old. My friend called me crazy when he found out about it. He also said I should wait until I am thirty to start dating eighteen year-olds. Not a bad suggestion, actually, but I think I can start practicing now. Wouldn't hurt... I also met another guy. He is either thirty five or thirty seven. I do not exactly recall. Who cares anyway, and as R. pointed out, he is too old for me either way... I feel like I am going to extremes, either babies or real grown ups. I don't seem to have been able to settle with someone closer to my age. However, whatever comes out of either of these encounters, I doubt I want anything serious right now, and moreover, with either one of them. A nice fling? Perhaps. Something more serious, maybe a relationship? Dooubtful. Regardless, I am meeting my 18 year-old this weekend... that is if I am not at work. I guess we will go from there.
Will keep posted on the further developments in the story...

Patience is a virtue.... that I lack.

I am annoyed with too many people right now. One would think that new year would bring joyous mood and desire for changes, but so far it's been going downhill for me. First and foremost, I am still mad at N. for not getting back to me on the 31st. She has been calling me ever since, but frankly, I don't want to talk to her yet. I feel like I need some time to recuperate from my trauma. Hypothetically, of course, but nevertheless. I am somewhat curious to hear her excuse though.
A. still keeps calling me as well. Not as often as before, but still. Thing is, there are really some mixed feelings that I have right now. I saw him again at his roommate's house party this weekend, and honestly, I couldn't wait to get away from there. It was pretty boring and uneventful and I sacrificed meeting my friend T. for this get-togetehr. But the last drop in the cup of my patience and open-mindedness in terms of this "relationship" and him in particular was when he was walking me to my car. Right before I left, we kissed. Not a bad kisser. After all it's a first kiss and I do believe that it takes time to get used to another person's technique. However, somewhere a minute into our kissing, I felt his hands moving lower and lower down my back, perhaps a little bit too low for my liking. Seriously, I am all for groping and grabbing when the moment is right, or when the mood strikes, but definitely when you are closer to the person than a second date. But not if you barely know the person. Well, unless you are about to sleep with them. Or if it's just a making out session in a dark corner of a bar. I mean, you get my point. It was way too early, and I was way not in the mood. And I do realize now, after few days, that it was probably him being drunk more than anything, but at that exact moment it really ticked me off. So here it is, my official reason for not wanting to see him again.
Next, as if previous wasn't enough, I am still trying to get past the slew of emails from S.'s friend... girlfriend... significant other... who cares who she was. Her and I went through several more email exchanges, but I think we have finally straightened things out. However, some of her words did make me think of S. slightly differently now. I mean, he did say the girl was crazy and unbalanced, but it always takes two people to ruin the relationship. And she didn't seem so in her emails (which is not a good indicator as it is, but still ). Besides, all girls that he ever talks about are, in his words, crazy. Well, either something is wrong with him that he picks same girls over and over, or there's something that he leaves unsaid. Because no matter how unlucky you are, you can't date five unstable people in a row. There is something that you are doing that makes them this way, or something that you are covering up about yourself. Not that it's any of my business, but it did make me look closer at him to try and figure out what he actually hides behind his facade.
But enough about other people... I am really tired at this point of dealing with unreliable or weird people and their behaviors. I have been working longer hours just so I can avoid having to talk to them or about them. The only outlet that doesn't object to my venting and whining seems to be R. Or this blog. Or A...
Which reminds me that his birthday is coming up and I have to start thinking about a present for him.

Another end.

So I am seriously considering ending things with Saturday guy. Even though I enjoy his company I feel like it is strictly on a friend level. He invited me to his friend's party last weekend but I only managed to stay for about an hour or two. Afterwards I got so bored I had to excuse myself and leave to meet up several other friends in DC. Plus, as we kissed at the end of the night, he grabbed me which kind of ticked me off. OK, I take it back, it pissed me off a lot. I mean I understand that we're making out and all but it still doesn't give him the right to grab me where he's not supposed to. After all, I wasn't standing there trying to grab his package. I don't know if it added to the thoughts that I already had, or if I am just looking for excuses to end things and make peace with myself for doing so. At the end, I couldn't find a single legitimate reason to stop seeing him, except for the fact that I am simply not feeling him.
On a funnier note, another reason I don't want to pursue this is the fact that DC seems like just one big village. You would think that news wouldn't spread here, but the opposite is actually true. Case in point: my date with A. As I've mentioned before, we went out last the Saturday before the New Year's, and he left for a ski resort the next morning. As for me, I haven't spoken to anyone about our night out except for R. Yet. Nevertheless, Monday morning I got an text message from my friend K. asking me who I went out with Saturday night. What the hell! How on earth would she find out about it two days after it happened. The word of mouth is spreading here faster than CNN. He couldn't have told anyone about it simply because he wasn't even here. I haven't told anyone yet, because I wanted to ask K. about him anyway over our dinner later this week. But I haven't mentioned anything yet.
How she found out, you would ask? Simple. Apparently, after the Christmas party, A. met up with our other mutual friend N. and asked him to call K. to ask if it's OK for him to call me. N. said he is being stupid and told him to call me straight and drop the act. Which he eventually did. Then, N. told D. about it, who is actually K.'s boyfriend. D., in turn, told K. Seriously? Damn it, you can't keep even the smallest secret in this town.
But I definitely have to interrogate K. about it when I see her... Then I will make the final decision if I want to keep seeing A.

I Hate Everything About You.

Finally found a "dirty" version of the song. Don't you hate it when they make the song official, therefore cutting out all the important stuff?

Still stuck.

Yes, as I've suspected, my email tag had a continuation. It wasn't a bad one, but I felt like it was a nice closure to eh entire ordeal.
Yesterday, when I woke up after my lame New Year celebration that I don't even want to get into, I had another email from the mystery girl. "I am sorry again for making assumptions. These have been a difficult few months and I think the fact that I have been with him so long and never heard about any of you (or have never even met any of you) just really hurts me. Thank you for being honest with me, I really do appreciate it. Again, I apologize for my assumptions and I didn't mean any disrespect towards you or any of your friends. I am just desperate to save something that I think is lost to me. I love him very much and I am scared and unsure of what to do. Your input has been helpful, thank you again. Have a great new year".
All I can say is, wow. Talk about soap operas. I do wonder now though if S. was truthful about her. She doesn't seem crazy and she is pretty articulate so it is a bit difficult to believe everything he told me about her. After all, there are always two sides to each story. And there are things, I am sure, that both of them left unsaid.
But enough about that. Here's a little 411 on my fabulous New Year. I never heard from N. who promised R. and I to get us tickets to the party. As a result, the idiot me didn't make any other plans since I was counting on her. Nada. Zilch.
I also never heard from S. who apparently was supposed to come over too, so all three of us could go out and celebrate, but for some reason got himself into a fight and stayed in MD. Without even telling me or R. about it until 11:30pm that night.
Well, fuck them both. I just figured they would have some courtesy to call and say that their plans didn't go through so that I could make my own. But no, I guess they were too busy with their own business. I was very upset at first since R. and I ended up at her apartment celebrating New Year. Truthfully, I can't say it was bad, but it was far from what I counted on. Oh well, I guess it's always nice to see people's true colors.
By now, my anger has subsided but I am still extremely disappointed in either of them.
On a bright side, it is a new year, new beginning, and I truly do hope it will be better than the last.
Especially the last couple of months of the old year...

Stuck in the middle.

I woke up late for work today since it seemed like no one was going to be there except for two other people. No one from management, anyway. Which naturally gave me a perfect reason to come in late... and leave early. I did have to run some errands though, so that's my excuse for leaving early, and I stick to it. Plus, I had to get ready for a New Year celebration despite the fact that I am definitely not feeling it.
As soon as I got home, I decided to check my email, something I got into a habit of doing ever since I found out that my work blocks them. And Facebook. And all other more or less entertaining websites. And there it was, the "Hi there. You don't know me but I have a question and you would be doing me a favor by answering it. Could you please tell me what your relationship is with S.? Please don't bring this up to him but I need to know. I don't mean any disrespect at all and if I have insulted you I apologize. Thanks." email. Sent yesterday afternoon. Really? I looked at the sender's address line - no clue who the person is. Where in hell did they, or rather, she get my email address from. How does she even know S. and I are friends? And then it dawned on me - good old Facebook, where else. I seriously need to block my profile there. I've been getting a lot of emails lately anyway from guys I don't know. I didn't even have enough time to ponder over this email, when I saw another message from the same person. This time, she wasn't so nice. "You know what... it doesn't matter anyway. You can disregard my previous email. If you're with him, or if any of your friends are with him... you can have him.
Thanks anyway". Alright, so we went from nice and polite to careless and, umm, benevolent in our desires to help with my search of significant other? Honestly, I could care less what's going on between the two of them, but I hate to be dragged into this. So I called S. to ask him about the girl. And yes, she did ask me not to tell him, but after all, what if she's some psycho that I need to be aware about? Just kidding. What I am not kidding about is the fact that I wanted to know what exactly I am getting involved in. So here's the scoop: apparently they dated a few months ago, broke up, but she never got past it. She saw a picture of me and him in his Facebook profile and decided to find out what's going on. The funny thing is, right next to that picture of me and him, there's another one of him and R. but apparently she decided to ignore it and went straight for me. Ugh, why couldn't she pick R. to stalk? I always seem to get the best deal...
So after he told me the story, I decided to reply to her email despite the fact that S. told me not to waste my time. I mean, her first email was proper, as for second... well, maybe she is bipolar, who knows. In any case, she deserved an answer. I got distracted with some other things though and when I finally decided to reply (which was about fifteen minutes ago), I had another email from her. This is getting exciting! "You really shouldn't have told him. As a woman I was looking to confide in you and vice versa, but I guess you aren't capable of that, and you have your own reasons I guess. Just a word of warning: he is manipulative and a liar. He's got serious issues that make him incapable of maintaining a normal relationship. Whatever he tells you about me, here is the truth: we were together almost a year and I've known him for almost twelve. He will tell you I'm crazy; he's wrong. I just deluded myself into thinking I could change him. So, I'm sorry if I dragged you into something that you had no part in - my mistake. I was desperate for answers and I still have none. I have to go on my gut and believe he hasn't been faithful to me, either with you or with other people. And I know you will show this to him or tell him about it - it doesn't matter. He and I are finished. Sorry again." Yes, talk about feeling desperate. It did make me feel guilty for talking to him for about a second, but after all, I did have my reasons to find out what was going on before I jump into it.
So I replied to her, to both of her emails. To the first one, "Hi, I asked him about you because I was wondering where you got my information (then i thought of Facebook since apparently that's how this whole story started)/or why you're thinking he and I have something going on. He didn't see any emails... I wouldn't show it to him either way. Here's the thing though- if you meant whether something is going on between me and him in a romantic way - you are wrong. I don't have a romantic relationship with him - never have either. I don't know why you are thinking that, but it's not the case. My friends are also not dating him. As for other people - I don't know, I don't talk/ask about his personal life. He is a friend of mine, and that's it. It is your choice to believe me but I really have no reason to lie since, as you've said yourself, I don't even know you. I don't know what happened between you and him, and it is between you guys and I hope you can figure it out somehow. Thanks and take care." Decent enough, I think, and respectful.
And to the second email, "Like I said, if he's been unfaithful to you, I am sorry to hear that, but it wasn't with me, or with my close friends. I can't speak for other people. I hope it will give you some answers you are looking for. Really, all we did was take some pictures while he, my other friend and I were all out. They do not have any connotations and if you look, there's exactly the same picture of him and my friend on Facebook as well... as well as with bunch of other people. I guess that's all... at this point I don't know what else to say so you believe me..." After I re-read it, it did sound like I was apologizing, which I hate but at that point it was too late as I have already sent it. Oh well. Cursing her out would be a much worse option, in my opinion. So hopefully, this will be the end of our little word exchange.
Although, when do I ever get what I wish for...

Unanticipated.

Last night, I met A. for the first time. Well, technically, it was the second time I saw him, but officially it was the first. I have to admit, though reluctantly, that I ended up having a good time. I came to DC a little bit early to get some pampering done before New Year. Nothing bonds you more with your friends as a trip to a spa...
We were meeting up at 9pm, so I told R. I would be back around midnight so we can go out somewhere downtown. Then I was off.
We decided to start off in Georgetown. He reserved a nice private table upstairs which guaranteed complete privacy. If I were in a dating mood, I would say it was romantic. Dim lights, candles and a table in the corner separated by panels ensured total seclusion. We spent a few hours talking before moving to another place a few blocks down. Again, we were able to get a table, despite the late hour (I assumed everyone was out for holidays). I still am not sure how it happened, but the next time I checked the time, it was almost 3am... Talk about being back by midnight. The good thing, we never shut up for more than a few seconds and the conversation was just flowing naturally. Apparently, this guy can talk his way out of any situation as well. At the end of the night, he dropped me off at my car and we agreed to meet up next week after he comes back from his ski trip. Ski trip... I hate him.
Oh and by the way... the guy was married before (is married?). I did appreciate the fact that he told me about it right away but the whole ex-wife situation makes me slightly cautious. I will need to talk to K. to fish out more information.
After he left, I went to R. place to pick up my stuff and again, we stayed up until 5am rehashing the details of my night out... Girls talk.
I think we are supposed to meet up for lunch today. And I am late for it... More to come.

Accidental date.

I am definitely definitely feeling like staying in today. It is raining, cold and nasty, so my bed and some nice wine, along with reruns of House seem like a perfect idea right about now. I was trying to relax this weekend after the week of non-stop outings. Today, it's been working out just fine. Although I am not sure it will hold up... Shall we start at the beginning though?
This week, as I've expected was painfully slow at work. No one was there and if I ever decided to show up late or leave early, there would be no one to prevent me from doing so. I've spent most of my time reading news and doing some market research. Fun, I know. I also strongly believe that at some point on Thursday, I've reached the end of Internet. That's when I knew it was time to leave. Yet, despite having nothing to do at work, I still didn't feel like doing anything tonight. I did my laundry though...
I also accidentally accepted a date with A. tomorrow night. I still sit here pondering how it happened. It all went approximately this way: as soon as I finished washing the first load of clothes, my phone rang. The call was from some unknown number, but I picked up anyway... against my better judgment and common sense. It was the guy I met at my friend's Christmas party. We spent some time socializing that evening, but I talked to him no more and no less as I would talk to anyone at the house gathering. As far as I remembered, he was doing promotions for a few places I like in DC, so when he asked for my phone number, I figured he needed it in case he and his crew planned a new party. Even now, as I talked to him and he mentioned something about going out tomorrow, I figured it was for one of their events. Hence, I said I was going to be there... "Alright, so I will call you tomorrow so we can settle the details and I will pick you up". Pick me up? That just spelled "date" for me. The phone conversation with R. half an hour later confirmed it. "Yup girl, he just asked you out on a date", she said.
Great. I mean he seems like a nice guy, but I really am not sure if I even want to jump into anything right now. These past few months have been really fucked up, and knowing my attitude towards dating, this one has more chances than ever to fail miserably. Nonetheless, I agreed to go out tomorrow. Either way, he didn't mention the word "date", so I could always claim it was just a friendly encounter. On the positive side, he seemed like an great guy, interesting to talk to, which is extremely important if you go out for dinner and drinks.
Because in this case, all you have to rely on, is the conversation itself and your communication skills. And obviously, my natural charm and magnetism...
As if...

The end is here.

So officially, my Christmas celebration started this Sunday when my family was having their usual annual dinner. It was pretty much the standard affair with thirty of my closest relatives and a whole lot of noise. And all I had to do was show up... which was pretty easy if you don't take into account the fact that I got to bed around 5am the night before. Yet, I managed it pretty well - I was home by 2pm that afternoon, which left me just enough time to take a shower and drag my ass to my family's place. A few hours later, I made some lame excuse and bailed out of there to have the rest of the evening to myself. To try to make what was left of it peaceful and quiet.
On Monday, I went to another Christmas party, this time the one my friend was throwing. The one I ran to get wine for the day before. I arrived an hour and a half late, and still was among the first who showed up. To be exact, I was third. It was a Russian party but for some reason everyone who came in, brought wine. A bit abnormal, if you ask me. Naturally, it was all gone by the end of the night. Wine or no wine, no one had a problem drinking it. The party was a blast and everyone ended up having an awesome time. I did notice something hilarious though - since we were stocked up on wine, everyone kept drinking it. Everyone, except the only non-Russian guy there. He was sipping vodka... I swear, at that moment the world turned upside down... the traditions just went down the drain... At some point, another friend of mine was trying to make a toast and when he brought his glass to mine, he broke the damn thing. As I recall, one moment I was standing there, glass on wine on my hands, about to take a sip, and the next - I see pieces of glass in my wine as that guy decided that my wine glass will withstand his beer glass. Naturally, it didn't... He said he was going to take care of the problem - he took the glass from me, poured the wine out on the grass, threw the glass away too (question, why the hell would you pour the wine out first?), and brought me a plastic cup. To avoid future incidents, I suppose.
We then had some more wine... then some shisha... then wine... etc., etc., etc...
At the end of the night, just when I was about to leave, another guy showed up to say there are tons of sobriety standpoints all over DC and that driving somewhere would be unwise, to say the least. At that point I decided to call R. to see if she can pick me up. She was free and agreed to come and get me. I decided to spend the night at her place since I wasn't feeling like driving and a bottle of wine and shisha I had didn't do much to wake me up... I woke up the next morning around 2pm, and after having breakfast (that R. conveniently cooked for me and her roommate) figured it was time to leave. R. said she was going to drive me back, but at that exact time A. called and said he was coming back from Reagan and could pick me up so we could talk a bit. I agreed, and so did R. (it definitely beat the option of having to drive me all the way back). I met up with A. shortly thereafter. Apparently, he still has a lot of shit going on for him that he's trying to resolve... We spent half an hour or so talking about different stuff and when he finally dropped me off and I made it home, it was 5pm.
Finally, the crazy weekend ended and I could breath free. Or free-er. It is only five days till New Year anyway, and I have a feeling the madness will all resume then.

Christmas Eve.

I am tired by now. I have been out every day since Thursday with no end in sight. Despite all my attempts to stay home, I ended up out again since I promised N. last week to meet her up for drinks. We decided to meet up in Georgetown to start off, and then possibly move somewhere else. That is, if the mood strikes us. Before our "date" though, I got a phone call from R. asking if I could come over before we all meet up so that we can go together. She also said she had some news for me... Marriage, anyone? At least that was my first thought... but she already told me she's getting married, there are no news there...
I got there around 7pm and trust me, the news were important. I figured out what happened as soon as I looked at her (even though she tried to play coy with me and make me wait until we got upstairs), but I also promised her I would not say what it is, so there goes... damn it, I can't say, but the news were, well, news. Can only be disappointed in your own inaction though. And unfortunately, I have to stop at this because if I say anything else, I may not live until 2008... We spent the next hour or so brainstorming different solutions and possibilities and finally came to conclusion as to what had to be done.
After that, we were off to meet the gang. I was so excited to N. and V. again as it's been forever since the last time I saw them. To be more exact, about four months. We had dinner with some wine and a small dose of flirting. At first, I kept exchanging some glances here and there with the guy sitting at the next table. No one noticed that except for V. Honestly, I was surprised he even saw anything since most of the guys I know are usually oblivious to what's going on around. He winked at me and then gave me a high-five. I think the guy at the other table noticed that since ever since then, his glances became more discreet. But not obsolete. Next, as V. and I stepped outside to smoke, some girl started a conversation with us, and according to V., was hitting on me. I didn't get any vibe from her, but I guess it's our conversation about strip clubs that made him think that way. Plus, I suspect she was hitting on him, but you never know these days...
We left an hour later, and since the mood has indeed stricken us, headed to the lounge in the Penn Quarter, where I haven't been since, probably, the early 2006. We had a decent time there, and were about to leave when I ran into this guy I went to school with. It was amazing to have run into him there since last I heard, he moved to New York right after graduation. Apparently, he came down here to visit his family for Christmas. We talked for a bit, catching up on the latest news and events, seeing where the life has swung us. He reminded me about the stupid class we have taken and complained about his current job, his trip home and his haircut... which he desperately needed.
After that, everyone was pretty much done for the night, so we headed back home shortly thereafter. I got to bed around 5am again, and had to wake up early since I had to pick up some wine for the house party my friend is throwing for Christmas. Tonight. That starts in six hours.
Damn, when will this all end?

Long live cheap beer.

Now I distinctly remember why I used to like college bars. You can argue all you want saying the crowd sucks, and so does the music, and overall it is not appropriate to show your face there after you graduated. Stop feeding me your bullshit... I am convinced now, it is all irrelevant.
As you've probably guessed, that's where I was last night. It was B.'s birthday and M. invited me to come along. Me, in turn, dragged along R. in case I should get bored and we decide to leave. Plus, I figured it would be a nice change of environment for both of us. We got there around 11PM convinced no one charges cover fees in a college bar. Wrong number one. They did have a cover. However, when R. and I headed out to a nearest ATM, the guy on the doors just told us to go ahead... Positive number one: nowhere decent in DC would you be able to sneak in without the cover (that is, unless you know someone). Here, you don't even have to ask. The first place I headed for, was the bar. Once again, I was sure, they don't even take a credit card. Wrong number two. They do. Positive number two: they don't have a spending limit on it, and sometimes they forget to put all that you ordered on your tab. Case in point, when my bill arrived, I was only charged for two drinks instead of three that I actually ordered. In reality, I still expected to pay around twenty dollars (including tips) for all that I had. Wrong number three. College bar drinks are dirty cheap since students never have money ( I was one, so I remember). Positive number three: I paid less than seven bucks for all my drinks. You cannot beat that... anywhere... in DC. But you also don't encounter uneven, impossible to dance on, floors anywhere in DC. Oh well, just one little flaw among all the positives...
Afterwards, the guys headed home, and I got a phone call from T. inviting me to join him at another DC lounge. R. was up for it and so less than twenty minuted, we were there. He smuggled us in to avoid the lines and check ups, and hence the party started. The moment I walked in there though, I ran into S. Whom I previously asked what he was up to but he didn't respond. Oh well. Misunderstandings happen... Nothing excitingly interesting happened that night, and after some serious body shaking (not from my side, mind you), R. and I headed home... Or shall I say, to get some food. I was tired as hell and was hoping to get something real fast and crash at R.'s place. But no, she decided it was imperative to drive all the way to Crystal City to eat... as if DC doesn't have McDonald's. But we did, stopping by to pick up some more food for S. too. We then headed to his house instead of R.'s, where we finally ate. At that point, I was practically starving and did not care much where we are going. Although I was the one driving while R. fed me some bread from the back seat. As soon a I finished my food, I pretty much passed out in the chair while S. and R. were still blabbing about nothing. We ended up staying their for the night, and she drove me back the next morning.
So here I am, having just gotten home, trying to get a hold of N. since she called me earlier this week to see if I wanted to go out.
Naturally, I am always up for it...

Shortie.

Guess what? I don't have to be back at work until Wednesday of next week. And even though Wednesday, January 3rd would sound much better, I am still pretty excited about it. So excited, in fact, that I started my celebration early by attending a Serbian party in downtown DC. It was very, very decent... waking up this morning was less than glamorous though. As usual, I overslept and had to literally fly to work to ensure I am only a little bit late. Which I was, but only about ten minutes. No one really noticed it since everyone was too excited with anticipation of coming vacation and a team lunch. We have been planning this lunch for a while now, and I was hoping that we would be able to leave right after it.
...Have you ever seen your senior manager lick his phone? Neither have I... until today. As soon as he finished talking on his cell phone, he looked at the screen and licked it... I swear at that exact moment I just froze and sat there, staring at him... at his phone... back at him... back at the phone. He soon noticed me shifting my gaze from one to another, blushed profusely, and told me he was just cleaning it.
"So that's how you cleaning it?"
"It was dirty...."
"And that's why you licked it?"
We all laughed for good five minutes after that. On the upside, it's good to know we don't have any germaphobes here.
We left work around noon to make it there on time, and naturally, everyone was late. No wonder, Christmas traffic is horrendous. Lunch, on the other hand was good. Leaving home right after it was amazing.
This weekend is shaping up to be pretty busy... It barely started and I already have every day planned out with a different activity.
Although when did it ever go according to the plan? Doubt that this time will be any different...

As expected.

This morning, I totally forgot about the meeting my director scheduled with me. I only remembered about it a few minutes prior to it, when my meetings alarm went off. As I predicted, he wanted to talk about my overall experience with the team. He did not fail to mention my potential permanent spot on the team either. So it seems like he managed to kill two birds with one stone, even before I had a chance to bring it up. And yes, it looks like I might have to look for another spot in the company because the lady who I am replacing is due back in the middle of January. He did say that he would like to keep me, but also mentioned he is not sure if it's possible since the team may be "overcrowded" then. Well, that doesn't mean shit if you ask me. That could be a sweet talk to better the fact that it may not work out after all. I don't know anymore... I guess I'll wait till mid-January and then... not sure what I'm going to do then. Although it does seem as if he wants to keep me on the team, you just never know. It may change tomorrow. After all, if there are no spots, then I can be a genius and I still don't get a position. It's just fucked up and now I feel like it's ruining my holidays. He did say though, that if his scenario doesn't work out, there are other spots in the company where I would be able to move to. Nonetheless, it is not a definite answer and not a promise... just an experience. Unfortunately, everyone knows that past results are not indicative of future returns. Plus, who knows how much longer I will have to wait before I feel secure here...
Feels like it's time to go home...

Get your booties on...

Today, I discovered a new feature in my phone. Turns out, it still works after you drop it on the concrete floor. That's a good one for someone as clumsy as I am... A piece of advice: never try talking on the phone while trying to put a shirt on... I am grateful for durable Samsung phones.
It turns out, I am not as helpless as I thought. Even though I had to stay up until 5am last night to finish the damn exam, I did it and I passed it. Now all I need to do is to actually read the book.
The classes got much better too. I enjoyed today's session a lot. Partially, because I was able to do everything that's required. But mainly because I stopped banging and scraping my knees on the bottom of the pool every time I'd come down. It also didn't hurt to have a full view of one of the instructors - and let me tell you, wetsuits show off every curve and each muscle. And the man looked damn fine. I wouldn't mind some private lessons with him. Although my instructor was amazing too. After all, the guy taught me how to breath through my mouth or nose, separately.
I truly cannot wait till we go to Nassau and do some real diving. Because fifteen feet is child's play for me. Forty five is more like it. Sharks being there helps too. If only R. and R. could go too. That way, we'd be able to turn those five days into a full-blown vacation. S. and I are working on convincing them.
Five days of blissful, uninterrupted fun... Damn, do we all need it...

Two bottles of liquor aren't enough, but three are too much...

... Why don't take five so not to run to the store twice...
I just came back home a few minutes ago. Tired as a dog running a marathon. Today has been hectic, with the exception of work, where I did nothing but sat on my ass drinking hot tea all day long. My director sent me an invite to a one-on-one meeting though for next Monday. Now I have two things in mind. First, he's going to tell me they have finally decided to keep me and my probation period is over; or second where he'll suggest I look for another spot in the company. Any of these scenarios might happen. It could also be a third possibility that he just wants to find out how I am doing and whether I have any concerns, but I highly doubt it's that. Honestly, at this point I'd rather know what's going on one way or another - the uncertainty is killing me. I would finally like to know what's going on to have at least some stability in one part of my life. Because so far, everything seems to be going wrong and falling apart.
I left work early to go to my scuba diving class. I think it is the only thing right now that's keeping me somewhat sane. Otherwise, it would be nothing but a slide downhill. I do have to admit that I am excited about it, despite the fact I haven't even opened the book. I am wondering if I can pass my final on Sunday without reading the book... I guess I'll find out tomorrow, when I open it for the first time in the last minute... We are supposed to be in the pool tomorrow, and water has a calming effect on me so hopefully that will help...
After my class, I went to Clyde's to meet a friend of mine, A. I haven't seen him in a while and figured it would be a nice time to catch up. When I got there, A. and few of his friends I never met before were there and it seemed like everyone was having a blast. We stayed there for about an hour, during which we managed to disrupt the place, drink a whole lot of wine (well, I am speaking for myself) and finish a three course dinner.... Although I do have to admit, we ended up sharing the food... And I finally saw A.'s new car. It rocks... I need to snap a few pictures for my album. It seems though that I am not the only one having problems. On our way back, we were talking and he brought up a very nice, if not convenient, thought. It is, after all, the end of they year and even though things seem to be going awry in every aspect of our life, the new year should bring more stability and comfort. Damn, I wish I shared his optimism. I wish you could just jump from one year to another, or month to month, and all your worries and troubles erased themselves. Wouldn't life be easy and convenient then? Just struggling through a few days in order to start everything all over again...
Life's a bitch though and I am too old now to believe this fairytale...

A reach out, perhaps.

Yesterday was absolutely crazy at work. It was our busiest day of the month, and everyone stayed until 11pm. At least now I can say that we are officially done... with this part. And I also truly hope I can leave early today to somehow catch up with what I missed last night. That is, if nothing else comes up.
Something funny happened last night. Well, I wouldn't exactly call it funny, but certainly thought-provoking. I was taking a short break from work around 8pm, talking on the phone to R. in the hallway, when it beeped twice.
"Hey R., I think I just got a text from you. Hang on"
That text message definitely wasn't from her. "I don't regret being with you. I always will be part of you. Hope we can talk one day..." There we go again. Wasn't the fact that I ignored his text last Thursday enough of a hint? Really, did he think it may take me six days to reply? I figured, by ignoring his last text message, I would "inadvertently" let him know it's over. Please notice the quote and my sarcasm... I guess it didn't. And what is up with being a part of me? Yes, I understand that he would like to continue seeing me, but sending texts will not make that happen. Just another confirmation that the only thing he is sorry about is that he got caught. Apparently, he doesn't have any other regrets about anything.
Neither do I, really. Just happy I found out... Better later than never.
I was thinking for a while whether I should even reply to the message. If I do, I might provoke more responses, and I am not too eager to hear from him again. If I don't, then he has the last word. So not happening.
So I said, "Do you really think we have something to talk about?". Not an invitation to talk, not a grain of understanding, nor hope.
And I haven't heard back...

An immense fuckup.

No, this is simply ridiculous. The only damn day in an entire month when I have to be at work early, and what do I do? I set my alarm for pm... When I woke up this morning, I felt something was wrong. After all, I actually felt somewhat rested and energized. I knew it couldn't be happening at 6am. Not with me. A quick squint at my alarm clock confirmed my earlier suspicion - it was almost 8:30 am. I had to be at work half an hour ago. I jumped out of the bed, flew to the shower... I swear it was the fastest shower I have ever taken in my life - five minutes and that's including brushing my teeth... Another five was wasted on trying to make myself look somewhat presentable. I gave up on that though and decided to simply dry my hair and try to pass it as a it-is-supposed-to-look-this-messy-bedhead hairdo. After pulling some random pants and a shirt from my closet, I was out of my house by 8:43am... Not bad for something that usually takes a full 45 minutes. Miraculously, I made it to work half an hour later. Naturally, my manager was laughing when he found out what happened but somehow I didn't share his joyful mood... I asked to leave a bit earlier last night, and was late today. Doesn't look too good when my evaluation is coming up... Oh well, at this point there's nothing I can do, nor can I influence anyone's decision. What's done is done and should something happen, I guess I will be looking for another position.
Speaking about yesterday. The reason I left early last night was to get to my first scuba diving lesson, and let me tell you, I am absolutely pumped up about this weekend. Or Nassau, for that matter. I just need to start working on my passport as soon as humanly possible...
Even though I knew I had to get up early today, I ended up staying pretty late wrapping up a few things. My friend M. was also online, and every time he is, we end up getting into some sort of discussion that starts off with "What did you do this weekend" and ends somewhere around the meaning of life. This time too, after discussing all our latest adventures, he made a good point that people always want to have something different from what they have already. Or that we always want what we can't have. Somehow I believe that it is in one's nature to yearn for unattainable or forbidden. It seems like the majority are not satisfied with what they have and always try to venture out there to "explore other possibilities". Or keep their options open. I am also wondering why can't we just be content with our current situation, and appreciate what we have. Perhaps be grateful for it? After all, many people I know who claim they are not satisfied are, in fact, more or less established individuals who, if they only dared to look at themselves from the side, would realize that their situation is far from the grim one they describe...
Since when have I become a philosopher?
And if I am supposedly so busy at work, how come I have time to post this blog which many would probably find useless anyway?

Illicit gestures.

I finally got out last night after a little break I've been taking. R. and I agreed that I'd be at her house between 10:30pm and 11pm, then we were supposed to wait for S. to wake up from his nap, and then go out around 11:30pm. However, I wouldn't be myself if I actually showed up on time... I got there around 11:45pm. S. wasn't there yet though so it wasn't like I was raining on anyone's parade. His Holiness finally showed up around 12:30am and we were able to go at last. At first, we tried the new place we wanted to check out forever, but it was so packed, we left and headed for [DC lounge]. Fortunately this time, everyone ended up having an awesome time... I think all three of us needed to get out. Seems like there's been some shit going on, and this week, it was with all three of us. So instead of busting anyone's balls we decided to go dancing and blow off some steam that way.
As I was dancing though, some guy grabbed my hand and tried to dance with me. I was in no mood to meet someone though so I just brushed him off. He didn't give up and five minutes later I felt his hand on mine again and this time it felt as if he were humping my hand. I remember thinking it was weird, but for the second time, I brushed him off and went outside for a smoke to give him a chance to get lost in the crowd. When I came back he was gone, and the rest of the night was fun, but uneventful. That is, if you don't count a dance off between five or so guys. I also ran into a guy whom I've seen at another DC hot spot quite often - turns out he is a manager there. R. and I ended up chatting with him for thirty minutes or so, which, I believe, has secured us an access to that place whenever we have a need to go.
The real fun started when we left the place and decided to get some food. On our way there, S.'s friend, W., joined us. We decided to grab a quick bite in my favorite place downtown and as we were waiting for our food, I saw a hand-humping guy walk in. He headed towards us and while his friends were ordering, broke a conversation with W. When we left, I told W. what happened in [DC lounge] and asked what the guy talked to him about. Turns out, the guy asked W. if I were with S. When he said "Yes", the guy smiled and said he could have taken me home with him if we hadn't left... Hilarious kid. Well, turns out that the hand-humping is actually a new gesture that means "Want to go home with me?" Well, that explains everything. The guy approached me on the dance floor, and when I turned him down, he apparently saw me talking to S. and figured we were together. After that, when he saw us at the food place, yet again together (I guess he ignored R. sitting right next to me), he decided to ask W. about it. And when W. "confirmed" us being together, he couldn't help but make a snotty remark. Oh well, just another asshole... what can you do.
I just seem to be running into a lot of them lately...