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...