The alarm clock went off at 8:15 on Sunday morning, and none of us wanted to get up. After hitting the snooze about 5 more times, Maddie took the first turn in the shower, and then one by one, we each got showered and changed. Chris and most of the crew were headed to dim sum in Chinatown, while I gave Kat a call to meet up with her for brunch in midtown. The weather was great (a bit warm, very sunny), so I walked the 12 blocks to Kat’s place instead of taking a train. We headed to Eatery, which was the same place we’d gone to the last time I’d visited her and which had the best bloody mary’s ever. I wasn’t hung over, but the mass amounts of food (especially those ridiculously good cupcakes) made me think that I should take it easy. I decided that I wasn’t quite ready for that much tomato juice and vodka yet, so I went with a bellini instead, which was much lighter and really delicious. Oh, and there was some food involved, but if there was anything I learned from this weekend, it was that my alcohol tolerance was back up. Yay?!
It was really nice catching up with Kat over brunch. We’ve both been pretty inconsistent with keeping up with each other since we’re so busy (me because of a mild case of ADD and poor time management, her because she’s simultaneously planning a wedding, studying for the PA bar, and prosecuting criminals…she wins!). Yet, every time we talk or meet up, it’s like nothing’s changed from college and no time has passed at all. That’s kind of the hallmark of a good friend – when you can pick up the phone after not having talked for a while and pick up right where you left off. Kat walked me back towards the hotel, but not before we heard and spotted the start line for NYC’s Gay Pride parade. I hadn’t really realized that it was going on, although the guys in the ultra-short shorts should have been a tip off (only in NYC and maybe SF does seeing that outfit on the street not phase anyone). Since the roads were blocked off, we wandered over to Rockefeller Center and stood with the huge crowds of onlookers. The NYPD and FDNY representatives were walking by at that point, and they got a huge response from the crowd (they’re still treated like heroes after 9/11, as well they should). Next came the more flamboyant floats, blasting dance music and Village People songs, accompanied by men and women (sometimes both in the same body?) dancing along in spandex, rhinestones, and feathers. It was pretty over the top, so Kat and I headed back towards the hotel, where she caught a train back to her apartment, and I headed back to the room to get in a few more chapters of Twilight before my flight.
The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, other than the horrendous traffic around midtown, thanks to the parade and the almost endless sea of gawking tourists who have never seen drag queens before. I bet the parents walking around 5th Ave that afternoon were going to have a great time explaining all that they had seen to heir little kids. Eventually, we made our way past 5th Ave and were clear almost all the way to JFK. I managed not to scream at the guy in front of me in the security line who actually took my things out of the bin and used it for himself (really, I’ve never seen anyone that rude…he was totally oblivious). Fortunately, the guy behind me was nice and ran back to get me another bin, which restored my faith in New Yorkers. The flight home was quick, although I did manage to finish my book. That was good because I immediately launched into New Moon as soon as I got home. Tonight’s task is to go to the bookstore and buy the last 2 books in the series. At the rate I'm going, I should be able to finish off the whole series over the July 4th weekend.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
NYC Trip - Day 2 - The Hunt
On Saturday morning, the alarm clock went off at 9:15, far too early considering the 4AM bedtime from the day before. Nevertheless, I dragged myself out of bed, showered, and got ready for the day. I woke the girls at 10 and we managed to all be ready by 11. We were just a little late for The Hunt.
Scavenger hunts seem to be a big thing these days, at least among my friends. While it looks kind of goofy to those who don't do it, if you're willing to keep an open mind, want to find a new and fun way to explore a city, and are just a little shameless, then scavenger hunts are a pretty good way to spend a Saturday. We met at Union Square and divided up into 3 teams, then ventured out to take pictures or videos of as many of the things on the list as possible. Many of the items weren't necessarily objects but rather things that you might see people doing. For example, one of the items was a police officer eating a donut (extra points if you got a picture of you eating a donut with the cop). I asked 3 NYPD officers, but all of them said that wouldn't look good for the department and gave me a look that said Get the hell out of here. I'll give them credit - NYPD cops take some pride in their jobs, so it's hard to fault them for that. We ran all over town, talking to random people, discovering new parts of town, and in some cases doing some unfortunate things that I won't describe here (let's just say that it helps a LOT in this game if you don't have any shame). The best part of the Hunt was when we went to the west side of town, where the Intrepid is docked, to take a picture of us "swimming" in the Hudson River. The guys didn't actually jump in and swim because that would just be gross (and I thought the Inner Harbor was nasty). Instead, we spotted a boathouse with a long ramp that led into the water. We talked to the staff there about the Hunt and asked them if we could just let the guys put their feet in the water and dance "the swim." The staff were surprisingly pretty cool about it and gave everyone life jackets before sending us down the ramp and taping the whole thing. The onlookers must have been wondering if this was some kind of field trip for mental patients, but we didn't care - that was worth 2000 points! The neat thing was that it was a perfectly sunny afternoon, the boats were out on the Hudson, and kids were running around in the park and playing in the fountain. It was a very different side of the city that I had never seen before. I also now know where the Intrepid is docked, so I can go and check out the carrier the next time I'm in town.
We were back at the hotel by 4PM, the deadline for all teams. Chris and Maddie went to one of the rooms to judge all the pictures and videos while the rest of us hung out, talking about the random stuff we had done and the people we had met. The cool thing is that all of us were pretty impressed by how helpful people were. Most of them were amused, and others seemed pretty impressed by the whole event and thought it was a great idea. At the end of the day, all of my team's antics didn't help us much - we came in dead last, but it was still a really fun way to spend the day. I was completely exhausted, so I showered, changed, and relaxed in the hotel room and read a few more chapters of my book until we had to leave for dinner.
Saturday night's dinner was at Landmarc in the Time Warner building. Tammi and I were late since we stopped at Crumbs Bakery to buy a bunch of cupcakes (can there really ever be enough dessert?). When we got there, a few more folks (Tim, Jen A, Baxter) had joined the group that had met for dinner on Friday. Most of us got the NY strip steak, but I was rather disappointed, to be honest, at how tough it was. I'd had much better steaks in Chicago and even Omaha, of all places. Still, it was good company and a pretty good meal overall (the wine was delicious, and if I hadn't had so much of it that I can't remember what it was called, I would try to look for it at home). Chris got to show off his new Thomas Pink shirt and Steelers cufflinks, so I think he was pretty content. After dinner, I headed back to the hotel to drop off the cupcakes then headed to the club where everyone else had gone to. I had botched the address so I had a bit of a hike to get there but eventually found it. The top floor club area was packed and hot, but we still had a good time dancing (it helps me a lot when the beverages are flowing). We left the club around 4AM and got back to the hotel, exhausted. There were 4 girls in my room, and we stayed up a bit longer, chatting and diving into the cupcakes. I learned this morning that apparently our giggling and chatting had kept the boys up in the room across the hall - oops! Guess that's what happens when you put 4 girls and a box of sweets together - we get teleported back to 5th grade and act like little kids again. It was probably around 4:45 or 5 when we finally went to bed, at the end of yet another amazing day in the Big Apple.
Scavenger hunts seem to be a big thing these days, at least among my friends. While it looks kind of goofy to those who don't do it, if you're willing to keep an open mind, want to find a new and fun way to explore a city, and are just a little shameless, then scavenger hunts are a pretty good way to spend a Saturday. We met at Union Square and divided up into 3 teams, then ventured out to take pictures or videos of as many of the things on the list as possible. Many of the items weren't necessarily objects but rather things that you might see people doing. For example, one of the items was a police officer eating a donut (extra points if you got a picture of you eating a donut with the cop). I asked 3 NYPD officers, but all of them said that wouldn't look good for the department and gave me a look that said Get the hell out of here. I'll give them credit - NYPD cops take some pride in their jobs, so it's hard to fault them for that. We ran all over town, talking to random people, discovering new parts of town, and in some cases doing some unfortunate things that I won't describe here (let's just say that it helps a LOT in this game if you don't have any shame). The best part of the Hunt was when we went to the west side of town, where the Intrepid is docked, to take a picture of us "swimming" in the Hudson River. The guys didn't actually jump in and swim because that would just be gross (and I thought the Inner Harbor was nasty). Instead, we spotted a boathouse with a long ramp that led into the water. We talked to the staff there about the Hunt and asked them if we could just let the guys put their feet in the water and dance "the swim." The staff were surprisingly pretty cool about it and gave everyone life jackets before sending us down the ramp and taping the whole thing. The onlookers must have been wondering if this was some kind of field trip for mental patients, but we didn't care - that was worth 2000 points! The neat thing was that it was a perfectly sunny afternoon, the boats were out on the Hudson, and kids were running around in the park and playing in the fountain. It was a very different side of the city that I had never seen before. I also now know where the Intrepid is docked, so I can go and check out the carrier the next time I'm in town.
We were back at the hotel by 4PM, the deadline for all teams. Chris and Maddie went to one of the rooms to judge all the pictures and videos while the rest of us hung out, talking about the random stuff we had done and the people we had met. The cool thing is that all of us were pretty impressed by how helpful people were. Most of them were amused, and others seemed pretty impressed by the whole event and thought it was a great idea. At the end of the day, all of my team's antics didn't help us much - we came in dead last, but it was still a really fun way to spend the day. I was completely exhausted, so I showered, changed, and relaxed in the hotel room and read a few more chapters of my book until we had to leave for dinner.
Saturday night's dinner was at Landmarc in the Time Warner building. Tammi and I were late since we stopped at Crumbs Bakery to buy a bunch of cupcakes (can there really ever be enough dessert?). When we got there, a few more folks (Tim, Jen A, Baxter) had joined the group that had met for dinner on Friday. Most of us got the NY strip steak, but I was rather disappointed, to be honest, at how tough it was. I'd had much better steaks in Chicago and even Omaha, of all places. Still, it was good company and a pretty good meal overall (the wine was delicious, and if I hadn't had so much of it that I can't remember what it was called, I would try to look for it at home). Chris got to show off his new Thomas Pink shirt and Steelers cufflinks, so I think he was pretty content. After dinner, I headed back to the hotel to drop off the cupcakes then headed to the club where everyone else had gone to. I had botched the address so I had a bit of a hike to get there but eventually found it. The top floor club area was packed and hot, but we still had a good time dancing (it helps me a lot when the beverages are flowing). We left the club around 4AM and got back to the hotel, exhausted. There were 4 girls in my room, and we stayed up a bit longer, chatting and diving into the cupcakes. I learned this morning that apparently our giggling and chatting had kept the boys up in the room across the hall - oops! Guess that's what happens when you put 4 girls and a box of sweets together - we get teleported back to 5th grade and act like little kids again. It was probably around 4:45 or 5 when we finally went to bed, at the end of yet another amazing day in the Big Apple.
NYC Trip - Day 1
This past Thursday passed in a blur of activity. First, I was scrambling to finalize financial statements for one of my clients before rushing home to grab some laundry and throw some things in a bag for the weekend trip to NYC. I raced to my parents' house to make it for my 8PM appointment with the notary to get my refinancing paperwork signed. At 7:30, I got a call from the notary indicating that the paperwork had not yet been sent over from my mortgage company. My heart pretty much fell to my stomach. If I didn't get it signed on Thursday, I'd have to either wait until the following month or postpone my flight to NYC. I was not happy. After a number of calls to Chase and to the notary, I figured out that someone had told the title company that there was a second mortgage out on my house, which I and the settlement company argued was incorret. However, the settlement company could not release the paperwork until they got that resolved. This only made me more furious because that error meant that someone at the mortgage company made a big clerical error at best, or that there was identity theft involved and that I could have a major problem on my hands. Eventually, I talked to the one person at Chase who had been helpful and candid all the way through the process, and she was able to get it cleared up. The notary showed up at my parents' house at 10:30 and we finished up the paperwork around 11:30. I was relieved to be done with the refinancing. It didn't hurt that the rate that I got was so low that the mortgage company actually paid me $250 for closing costs (bonus!). I had trouble sleeping, so I started reading Twilight, which had just been delivered to me that afternoon (thank you Amazon!). Starting into the book might have been a bad idea...I was immediately sucked in and didn't go to bed until 1AM.
I was up 3 hours later and out the door by 4:30AM on Friday to catch my flight to JFK. I made it to Dulles and to the gate with about 20 minutes to spare (even though I left early, it's a big airport and the people-movers were pretty crammed). I got in a little more reading on the plane and decided that I need to buy the rest of the Twilight series - I just have to know how it ends!!
I got into JFK around 9AM, a bit delayed due to the weather, and Chris was there to meet me at the gate. My big bro hasn't changed much from college, except for the shaved head he sports now. We piled into a packed shareride van and headed to midtown. The van driver was pretty funny, pointing out interesting sites and telling us about how great things were when Rudy G was mayor and cleaning up the city. We finally arrived at the hotel and met with Maddie, Chris's friend from SF. We checked into the rooms (girls in one, boys in the other) and then headed off to find some food. We wandered up Broadway and found a sushi restaurant next to the Ed Sullivan Theater where they tape The Late Show. Lunch consisted of a "ladies lunch" bento box with miso soup, salad with seared tuna, crunchy salmon sushi roll, braised short ribs, and tempura shrimp. The food was terrific, but I was feeling pretty stuffed afterwards. We headed back to the hotel to meet up with some more of Chris's SF friends, Josh and Wendy, who had flown in for the weekend. At that point, I gave Chris the first part of his birthday present - a pair of Steelers cufflinks (thanks to Jay for inspiring me with his Eagles cufflinks). Chris was pretty excited about them, especially since he could show them off at dinner on Saturday.
After we got everyone settled, we walked up to Columbus Circle and did a bit of shopping at the Time Warner building. I bought Chris a French cuffed shirt from Thomas Pink so he could put his cufflinks to use. We checked out J. Crew and some other stores too, but I couldn't find anything that really fit or was in my price range. Chris and his friends took off to go shopping at Macy's, and I called Kat to meet up with her. She had gotten off of work a little early since she had wrapped up her trial (successfully!) and her apartment is pretty close to Columbus Circle. After a quick bite to eat at Whole Foods (I just nibbled on a cannoli since I was still pretty stuffed), we headed south and looked for "cute" clothes for the weekend. Like an idiot, I had only brought jeans, t-shirts, and workout clothes, completely forgetting that many NYC restaurants require appropriate attire. We ended up finding an Ann Taylor and where I was able to find a pretty affordable outfit, and I bought some sandals later on, so I was now ready to go for the rest of the weekend. Kat was awesome, as she has a great sense of style and has a knack for finding just the right pieces. It was almost dinnertime, so Kat headed back to her apartment and I went to the hotel to shower and change.
Dinner was at Carmine's, and in addition to Chris and his SF crew, two more Penn people, Phil and John, came with their wives/girlfriends. We had a huge Italian meal that was pretty good, and just the carb load that we needed to fuel the rest of the evening.
I was up 3 hours later and out the door by 4:30AM on Friday to catch my flight to JFK. I made it to Dulles and to the gate with about 20 minutes to spare (even though I left early, it's a big airport and the people-movers were pretty crammed). I got in a little more reading on the plane and decided that I need to buy the rest of the Twilight series - I just have to know how it ends!!
I got into JFK around 9AM, a bit delayed due to the weather, and Chris was there to meet me at the gate. My big bro hasn't changed much from college, except for the shaved head he sports now. We piled into a packed shareride van and headed to midtown. The van driver was pretty funny, pointing out interesting sites and telling us about how great things were when Rudy G was mayor and cleaning up the city. We finally arrived at the hotel and met with Maddie, Chris's friend from SF. We checked into the rooms (girls in one, boys in the other) and then headed off to find some food. We wandered up Broadway and found a sushi restaurant next to the Ed Sullivan Theater where they tape The Late Show. Lunch consisted of a "ladies lunch" bento box with miso soup, salad with seared tuna, crunchy salmon sushi roll, braised short ribs, and tempura shrimp. The food was terrific, but I was feeling pretty stuffed afterwards. We headed back to the hotel to meet up with some more of Chris's SF friends, Josh and Wendy, who had flown in for the weekend. At that point, I gave Chris the first part of his birthday present - a pair of Steelers cufflinks (thanks to Jay for inspiring me with his Eagles cufflinks). Chris was pretty excited about them, especially since he could show them off at dinner on Saturday.
After we got everyone settled, we walked up to Columbus Circle and did a bit of shopping at the Time Warner building. I bought Chris a French cuffed shirt from Thomas Pink so he could put his cufflinks to use. We checked out J. Crew and some other stores too, but I couldn't find anything that really fit or was in my price range. Chris and his friends took off to go shopping at Macy's, and I called Kat to meet up with her. She had gotten off of work a little early since she had wrapped up her trial (successfully!) and her apartment is pretty close to Columbus Circle. After a quick bite to eat at Whole Foods (I just nibbled on a cannoli since I was still pretty stuffed), we headed south and looked for "cute" clothes for the weekend. Like an idiot, I had only brought jeans, t-shirts, and workout clothes, completely forgetting that many NYC restaurants require appropriate attire. We ended up finding an Ann Taylor and where I was able to find a pretty affordable outfit, and I bought some sandals later on, so I was now ready to go for the rest of the weekend. Kat was awesome, as she has a great sense of style and has a knack for finding just the right pieces. It was almost dinnertime, so Kat headed back to her apartment and I went to the hotel to shower and change.
Dinner was at Carmine's, and in addition to Chris and his SF crew, two more Penn people, Phil and John, came with their wives/girlfriends. We had a huge Italian meal that was pretty good, and just the carb load that we needed to fuel the rest of the evening.
Chris had spotted a Yuengling truck on the way from the airport, so he was determined to have a pint of it before he left the city (apparently that's not available in SF). We first went to The Ginger Man, since they have the biggest selection of beer in the city. The actually did not serve Yuengling, so Chris went across the street to the Midtown Pub. As luck would have it, they did have what Chris was looking for, so we spent a few hours there hanging out and just having a good time. There was a lot of very badly mixed MJ songs going on, so the dancing was a little disjointed. Probably didn't help that the boys were doing rounds of Jaeger shots in between pints.
After a few hours, another friend of Chris's, Tim (not my ex), joined us, and we all headed to a club further south. The club was pretty nice, but we didn't stay long since Phil mentioned a rooftop lounge that was pretty relaxed and sounded like it had amazing views. That place did not disappoint. The elevator ride took us up to the top floor, which opened into a club. Stairs towards the back led to a rooftop cabana-like area that was actually not as packed as I would have thought. After a day that had been fairly hot and humid, the cool air felt really good, and the view of the NYC skyline was pretty cool. Drinks were expensive, so we hung out, chatting and dancing until about 3AM.
We split up then, with Phil heading home, Chris and I to the hotel to meet Tammi, the last member of our party, and the rest heading to White Castle (they had to see what all the hype was about). By the time everyone returned, it was about 4AMand we were all pretty beat, so after introducing Tammi to the rest of the group, we turned in. It was a great way to start the weekend!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Catching Up
It’s been a while since the last post, so this will be a long catch-up entry. In case you’re looking for the Cliff Notes version, here it is:
- Saturday, June 13 - Beney’s DC scavenger hunt and an after-hunt trip to Oyamel to watch 2 of her friends eat grasshopper taco’s. There are some things that even I won’t eat.
- Week of June 16 – Trip to NC (which could either mean North Carolina or NASCAR Country, same thing) to do walkthroughs at a new client. Concluded that TX barbecue is the best but parts of NC are “perdy.”
- Jogging – Making slow but steady progress…emphasis on slow, though.
- Refinancing my house – Jumping onboard the Obama bandwagon. Any POTUS who drops my interest rate by more than 1.5% gets my support!
- Random observations – Men are stupid. And in other shocking news, the sky is blue and the harbor water is filthy.
- Upcoming – Chris’s 30th birthday weekend in NYC!
For the long version, see below:
Scavenger Hunt
Beney is the Queen of All Social Events, so the DC scavenger hunt that she hosted on June 13 was a great success. The turnout was ok, but with the fun that the groups had, hopefully the next one will be even better. I thought that an hour would give me time to get downtown and even get to a kiosk for some lunch on the Mall, but that was not to be. Metro was single track all the way in from MoCo, so the normally 45 minute ride took more like 1.5 hours. When I finally got there, Beney gave me the option of joining the one lone participant, but my stomach was grumbling so I opted to go to lunch instead. We went to Oyamel, which is this great Mexican place near the Verizon Center. They serve mostly small plates, so we each ordered a few dishes (I got a couple of mini tacos) and we split the fresh guacamole. It was fantastic! Apparently the weekend menu is special since that’s the only time they offer churros with Mexican hot chocolate. Churros are basically twisty dough sticks covered in cinnamon and sugar. You can get them at Costco for about $1 each, but since those are probably sold by the ton, stick to Oyamel’s! The hot chocolate is also special since Mexican HC is more like a chocolate fondue, only slightly thicker, the perfect dip. After a filling lunch, we went to the Capital Chophouse, where the teams were to meet up at the end of the hunt. I somehow found room for a couple of pints of their stout, which was pretty tasty (better than the other microbrew stout I had in Omaha). As the teams returned, it turned out that I probably would have done really well on the hunt, as I knew more than half of the answers immediately and probably had a good idea of which locations to hit and still make it back to the Chophouse in time (there was a time limit). I pointed out a few loopholes in the game that would probably have allowed me to win, but Beney decided that loopholes = cheating, and apparently the next hunt will include a Jen Clause to avoid such “abuse.” After the winners were determined and rewarded, the whole group headed back to Oyamel because someone got the great idea of trying out their house specialty, grasshopper tacos. I had this vision of two giant insects wrapped up in a tortilla shell, but what actually came out was a taco shell filled with something that looked like shredded pork. The tacos actually smelled pretty good (smoky and spicy), but when I got closer, I actually could see tiny eyes staring back. The little pieces of “meat” were actually teeny tiny grasshoppers. They were brown because of the seasoning and the quick grilling they received. Only 2 in our group were daring enough to eat the tacos, and both said that they tasted pretty good. There were only 2 problems – one was knowing what they were eating, and the other was texture. The first problem is fairly self explanatory…if you think something is gross, you usually don’t put it in your mouth. The second is the real kicker though. Apparently the texture is slightly crunchy, but then you get the “meat,” and the combination of crunch and squirt is just too much for me. I am throwing up in my mouth a little as I write this. I watched the carnage but stuck to my drink and a few chips and salsa. Thus ended another successful Beney-led outing.
Trip to the South
The next week, I headed to North Carolina for work with a staff and senior I hadn’t spent much time with previously. The client was located just outside of Charlotte, so I figured it couldn’t be that bad if there was an NBA franchise there. The first inkling that we were in the deep south was when we drove around looking for a gas station around 8 PM and found that none were open since they were still the old non-digital type. Instead of a credit card reader there was a rotary dial. This place was straight out of the 1950’s. The client was pretty well prepared and the work went pretty smoothly. We all got a kick out of the heavy southern drawl that most of the client personnel had. When you’re around that for a few days, you tend to pick up that accent, but I tried not to. I find that there’s almost nothing quite so ridiculous as an Asian person with a southern accent. The team did a good job and I’m glad I got the chance to get to know them a little better. We did get to sample some of the local Carolina barbecue, but it wasn’t as good as the stuff we had in Texas. Oddly enough, the best restaurant we went to was a sushi restaurant on the other side of town, where there were strip malls with modern buildings and neighborhoods that were filled with large homes and well-manicured lawns. Other than going out to dinner each night, there wasn’t much else to do in town, although that did give me a chance to catch up on some work for other clients and on the latest episode of True Blood (not really into the whole Twilight thing yet, but the R-rated vamp show is, I’m guessing, a much funnier, cooler, and more violent version).
Jogging
Not much to say here other than I’m starting up again with the goal of dropping my time down to the 90-100min range for the Army Ten Miler, the first of my 3 big races this fall. If I don’t, my dad might eat all the snacks by the time I finish. I am pretty excited that Anne and Jamie are doing the HoCo 5k, though! That definitely is a good motivator when you’re in a group of people who are really focused on doing well, so even though my main focus is on the 3 October races and I’ve been pacing in the mid 11’s, I’m still going to try to at least beat my last 5k time.
Doing my bit to help the economy
I’m refinancing my house, and the closing is tonight, so starting next month, I’ll be about $300/month richer. The whole process has been fairly painless, so I’m hoping that everything goes smoothly tonight. The only heartburn will be seeing my bank balance tomorrow…writing out a check for thousands of dollars is a bit stomach-turning, but it’s all in the name of saving down the line.
Random observations
A common theme from this week has been men doing stupid things. I went to Best Buy earlier in the week to buy a new camera for my trip to NYC this weekend and noticed a couple of guys who had walked in the store with their significant others. The men then promptly ditched these ladies when they weren’t looking and headed straight for the gaming area. There, they got into a huge jam session (it was either Guitar Hero or Rock Band…not sure as I’ve never played either), and they were spazzing and rocking out like they were actually playing real instruments and had real talent instead of having a plastic joy stick and computer-generated instruction dots to guide them. The funniest part was when these guys were picked up by their wives. They got a tap on the shoulder and immediately snapped-to, and basically had this look of, “Oh, hey, I was just checking out the game for the, uh, kids. Yeah, that’s it! The kids would totally love this. Yeah, the kids…if we had any.” Really guys, it’s not like she doesn’t know that you’re just a 6-year old stuck in a 40-year old’s body…just buy the game and embrace the nerdy gamer in you! I will say, though, that it’s a little embarrassing to watch these guys rock out when they have ZERO rhythm. Another example of men doing stupid things – the governor of SC. If you’re just some average person and you take off for the weekend without telling your family, there might be a few calls made by concerned loved ones. If you’re, let’s say, the chief executive of an entire state, people might start to notice when you disappear for days on end. Coming back with some lame-ass lie about flying to Argentina and driving along a 2-mile coastline to clear your head doesn’t exactly help your case…we all knew he was screwing around. When a politician’s wife doesn’t know where the politician is, he’s either with someone underage, not his wife, potentially a dude, or all of the above. Guys – stop the lying!
Weekend adventure
So, now that I'm all caught up, let's talk about the future. I am really looking forward to this weekend! Chris is flying in to NYC to celebrate his 30th birthday, and it should be a lot of fun. I met my “big brother” in college (he lived across the hall from me) and we’ve been friends ever since. I’m actually older than he is, but in Chris’s World, the fact that he’s 6’4” makes him the big brother. Regardless of his twisted, Steelers fan logic, he is a good friend and we always have a good time when we hang out. That hasn’t happened much since college because he’s out in San Fran, so it’s a fairly big deal when he comes back east. I’ve booked a few rooms at the Renaissance in Times Square for everyone who’s coming from out of town, so we’ll have a pretty crowded but swank place to crash. Besides the birthday dinner, Chris has planned a scavenger hunt on Saturday that may or may not result in me making a total ass of myself, but we shall see what’s on the list of things to find/do. I’m pretty competitive, so if I have to do something stupid to win a contest, there’s a good chance I might. Here’s hoping this weekend’s festivities don’t end up on YouTube.
Monday, June 8, 2009
How to Lose a Guy in Ten Seconds
Traveling for work is something that I really enjoy. Although it does get a bit old after really long multiple week trips, I rather enjoy the short trips that last a week or less. I get to visit all sorts of places that I probably wouldn't think of going to on my own. For example, today I flew out to Omaha, NE for the first round of meetings related to a new contract that we won. I've never been to Omaha before, and although there was a bit of a mixup at the ticket counter, it did get sorted out and I made the flight on time. Even better, I got randomly upgraded to first class on the connecting flight from Memphis to Omaha, so that was fun. First class on those short haul flights just meant a bit more leg room (rather wasted on me, since I'm only 5'3" and could potentially fit in an overhead bin), but more snacks...I would agree that Twix are a premium snack, worthy only of those who pay twice as much as coach.
When we landed, the airline had unfortunately forgotten to load Liz's bags onto the second flight, so hopefully she'll be getting a call soon to let her know that her bags are on their way. Otherwise, we may be making an emergency shopping trip tomorrow during lunch. Once we got to the hotel in downtown Omaha, we headed to a local brewpub for dinner. After a couple of genuine Omaha steaks, I had a pint of stout before heading to the bar area to watch the Lakers-Magic game. I sampled 4 more beers during the course of the night (not to worry, though - the samples were the size of shooters, so they were a total rip off, but at least I got to try a bunch of new beers and keep the buzz going). I'm not a huge basketball fan, but I don't like Kobe and was really hoping that he and the Lakers would get shut down. That was not meant to be tonight, despite a pretty exciting OT game. While we were watching the game, a random guy came over and attempted to chat up Liz and potentially myself (definitely seemed like a scouting trip, to figure out which one of us might be interested...the fact that both of us were trying very hard not to make eye contact hopefully tipped him off that it was most definitely not on). We found out that he was staying at the same hotel as us, although we didn't bother to let him in on that tidbit. We also found out that he was only in town for a couple of days before returning to LA, which was yet another dagger in his attempt to gain some company for himself and his buddies (because a random hookup is exactly what a girl looks for on a business trip). It will be interesting tomorrow if we happen to see him and his crew at breakfast, or at one of the local restaurants.
Should any further attempt be made by random slimy guys to chat up any member of my team, I may have to play the enforcer again and bounce those guys out. I remember one time in college when I had to lay down the law at a friend's house party. It was after the Army-Navy game, and there were a bunch of Army guys hanging out, drinking, and one was hitting on my roommate at the time, who was in a serious relationship and wanted nothing to do with the Drunken Bastard but couldn't get rid of him. I probably had been playing flip cup for an hour or so and had no common sense at the time but still felt a sense of loyalty to my friend. I proceeded to walk over, tap DB on the shoulder, grab him by the neck when he turned around and slammed him to the wall. I told him to back off before I called my roommate's boyfriend and all of his guys over to throw him out the window, and he nodded ok. When I let go of his neck, he said something to the effect of "I think I'm either very afraid or in love." Pretty sure I made a move to go over and set him straight but Beney hauled me away before I got into any further trouble. Now that I'm a bit older, I will likely not resort to physical violence to deter unwanted suitors and protect the herd of innocent accountants from the rabid group of slimy LA finance hyenas. Instead, I am pretty sure that any mention of marriage and children will be just as effective as a faceful of mace to most men, so I'll give that a go the next time.
When we landed, the airline had unfortunately forgotten to load Liz's bags onto the second flight, so hopefully she'll be getting a call soon to let her know that her bags are on their way. Otherwise, we may be making an emergency shopping trip tomorrow during lunch. Once we got to the hotel in downtown Omaha, we headed to a local brewpub for dinner. After a couple of genuine Omaha steaks, I had a pint of stout before heading to the bar area to watch the Lakers-Magic game. I sampled 4 more beers during the course of the night (not to worry, though - the samples were the size of shooters, so they were a total rip off, but at least I got to try a bunch of new beers and keep the buzz going). I'm not a huge basketball fan, but I don't like Kobe and was really hoping that he and the Lakers would get shut down. That was not meant to be tonight, despite a pretty exciting OT game. While we were watching the game, a random guy came over and attempted to chat up Liz and potentially myself (definitely seemed like a scouting trip, to figure out which one of us might be interested...the fact that both of us were trying very hard not to make eye contact hopefully tipped him off that it was most definitely not on). We found out that he was staying at the same hotel as us, although we didn't bother to let him in on that tidbit. We also found out that he was only in town for a couple of days before returning to LA, which was yet another dagger in his attempt to gain some company for himself and his buddies (because a random hookup is exactly what a girl looks for on a business trip). It will be interesting tomorrow if we happen to see him and his crew at breakfast, or at one of the local restaurants.
Should any further attempt be made by random slimy guys to chat up any member of my team, I may have to play the enforcer again and bounce those guys out. I remember one time in college when I had to lay down the law at a friend's house party. It was after the Army-Navy game, and there were a bunch of Army guys hanging out, drinking, and one was hitting on my roommate at the time, who was in a serious relationship and wanted nothing to do with the Drunken Bastard but couldn't get rid of him. I probably had been playing flip cup for an hour or so and had no common sense at the time but still felt a sense of loyalty to my friend. I proceeded to walk over, tap DB on the shoulder, grab him by the neck when he turned around and slammed him to the wall. I told him to back off before I called my roommate's boyfriend and all of his guys over to throw him out the window, and he nodded ok. When I let go of his neck, he said something to the effect of "I think I'm either very afraid or in love." Pretty sure I made a move to go over and set him straight but Beney hauled me away before I got into any further trouble. Now that I'm a bit older, I will likely not resort to physical violence to deter unwanted suitors and protect the herd of innocent accountants from the rabid group of slimy LA finance hyenas. Instead, I am pretty sure that any mention of marriage and children will be just as effective as a faceful of mace to most men, so I'll give that a go the next time.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
2 Down, 3 to Go
Yesterday was the Komen Global Race for the Cure, a massive 5k that happens every year in DC. That was my second race of the year, so I only have 3 more road races to go. I hadn't run the Komen race in a while, and this time I took my family with me. Mel was whining the whole way about being tired and not having trained properly...I told her to suck it up and just do her best. The weather was great, just silghtly on the cool side, and the rain held off until well after we were done running. The event was hosted by the Komen Foundation executives, local and national newspeople, and the Bidens. We saw the VP's motorcade go by around 7:15, so we knew that we were going to be starting late (all of the pre-race festivities were supposed to have started at 7, and the Bidens were a part of that). Once the race started, I went at a nice, easy pace, but Mel said she felt awful and I told her to walk a bit and then catch up. I actually stopped twice and waited about 30 seconds, even walking back a bit to find her, but I didn't see her. Eventually, I just finished the race on my own and met up with her later. My time was awful (12 min. pace), but the multiple stops probably prevented me from finishing closer to the mid-11's. I still have a lot of work to do before I reach my goal of finishing the ATM and Baltimore half in a 10 min pace or better. However, yesterday was more about family and running for a cause. It's truly impressive to see the number of survivors who attended. Cancer runs in my family, but I don't feel afraid of my chances of getting that diagnosis. I don't feel that it is a death sentence, especially if it's caught early. There's no cure yet, but there are certainly effective treatments that can knock it out at least temporarily. Next year, my goal is to recruit more people to the race and raise more for the Foundation. Thanks to all who contributed! It is truly a worthy cause, and if there's ever a race for beginners, this is a great one to get involved in, so sign up next year!!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
OBX - Day 4
The last day at the beach started the same as the previous days, with a long walk on the beach after breakfast. Only this time, the clouds were rolling in and the waves were picking up. On my way back to the house, I saw a few lifeguards who were heading to their stations stop to talk to each other, and I guessed that they were trying to figure out if they should red flag the beach or not. Usually there is also a Coast Guard helo that patrols the beach, but that day, there were three of them sweeping the coastline, so that could not have been a good sign. I’m not a strong swimmer, so I had no plans of venturing further than knee-deep into the ocean...riptides are nothing to play around with.
What was a bit worrisome to me was a good sign for the 4 who had gone out to rent wetsuits the day before. High seas means bigger waves, perfect for surfing. This wasn’t Hawaii, though, so 6 ft. waves were probably as big as they got. We went out on the beach for a while and watched as Alex’s boyfriend, cousins and uncle struggled with the surfboard and boogie board. When they came back, their faces were red from the exertion and the waves smacking them in the face. The lifeguards looked pretty relieved, too. Every time I looked over, the poor guy had his eyes trained on the group of novice surfers, pretty much knowing that he was going to have to do his best Hasselhoff impression and race over to pull those guys out of the water.
After the surfers showered and changed, we headed to a local pizza place for lunch. It was too crowded, though, and Alex and I wandered around looking for somewhere else to go. We ended up at this kind of shady looking diner that turned out to be pretty good. We all shared ceviche and burgers, and if I can remember it the next time I’m there, I’ll probably go back. Alex then took me to buy fudge for my parents and Mel, and I also stopped by Tulio’s to buy a bunch of macaroons for them.
And with that, I said my good byes to the family, hopped in my car, and headed home. On the way, I stopped at Southland, which was a family tradition. It is just yards away from the Virginia state line on the NC side, and it is a combination restaurant/gas station/gift shop. And by gift shop, I mean they sell random trinkets to the OBX visitors, as well as smoked ham, guns, and cigarettes. Yeah, welcome to the South! We used to stop there on the way home for breakfast when I was little, and it was always a bit funny to see the expression on the locals’ faces when my big Asian family walked in. I remember waitresses speaking for slowly and loudly when asking for our orders (because clearly speaking louder makes all the difference when you’re talking to someone in a foreign language), then looking totally relieved when we responded back in perfect non-accented English. This time, I didn’t stop for breakfast but instead headed to the back room that was filled with wall to wall cartons of cigarettes, dip, and other tobacco paraphernalia. Since I don’t smoke and have no idea what to ask for, I had to call my dad and could hear his co-worker in the background providing the exact order. Two cartons of Marlboro’s and $75 later, I was back on the road and making good time to my parents’ house.
It was a minor miracle that I didn’t dive into the fudge or bag of cookies on my way back. My car had never smelled so good before! Mom and dad were pretty happy about the treats, as evidenced by the fact that when I went to have some dessert, there were only 3 macaroons left out of a bag of 8. Mom was raving about the cookies and already looking up the address for Tulio’s when I left, so I am pretty sure I know who the cookie monster is.
So, 4 days at the beach with my extended family did a world of good. I got some work done and didn’t feel completely overwhelmed/guilty when I got back to work. I was well rested, a little tanner, and feeling like life really isn’t all that bad. It would be better, though, if I had the chance to take a long head-clearing walk on the beach every morning and every night. And macaroons wouldn’t hurt, either (seriously, even if you don’t like coconut, those cookies were awesome).
What was a bit worrisome to me was a good sign for the 4 who had gone out to rent wetsuits the day before. High seas means bigger waves, perfect for surfing. This wasn’t Hawaii, though, so 6 ft. waves were probably as big as they got. We went out on the beach for a while and watched as Alex’s boyfriend, cousins and uncle struggled with the surfboard and boogie board. When they came back, their faces were red from the exertion and the waves smacking them in the face. The lifeguards looked pretty relieved, too. Every time I looked over, the poor guy had his eyes trained on the group of novice surfers, pretty much knowing that he was going to have to do his best Hasselhoff impression and race over to pull those guys out of the water.
After the surfers showered and changed, we headed to a local pizza place for lunch. It was too crowded, though, and Alex and I wandered around looking for somewhere else to go. We ended up at this kind of shady looking diner that turned out to be pretty good. We all shared ceviche and burgers, and if I can remember it the next time I’m there, I’ll probably go back. Alex then took me to buy fudge for my parents and Mel, and I also stopped by Tulio’s to buy a bunch of macaroons for them.
And with that, I said my good byes to the family, hopped in my car, and headed home. On the way, I stopped at Southland, which was a family tradition. It is just yards away from the Virginia state line on the NC side, and it is a combination restaurant/gas station/gift shop. And by gift shop, I mean they sell random trinkets to the OBX visitors, as well as smoked ham, guns, and cigarettes. Yeah, welcome to the South! We used to stop there on the way home for breakfast when I was little, and it was always a bit funny to see the expression on the locals’ faces when my big Asian family walked in. I remember waitresses speaking for slowly and loudly when asking for our orders (because clearly speaking louder makes all the difference when you’re talking to someone in a foreign language), then looking totally relieved when we responded back in perfect non-accented English. This time, I didn’t stop for breakfast but instead headed to the back room that was filled with wall to wall cartons of cigarettes, dip, and other tobacco paraphernalia. Since I don’t smoke and have no idea what to ask for, I had to call my dad and could hear his co-worker in the background providing the exact order. Two cartons of Marlboro’s and $75 later, I was back on the road and making good time to my parents’ house.
It was a minor miracle that I didn’t dive into the fudge or bag of cookies on my way back. My car had never smelled so good before! Mom and dad were pretty happy about the treats, as evidenced by the fact that when I went to have some dessert, there were only 3 macaroons left out of a bag of 8. Mom was raving about the cookies and already looking up the address for Tulio’s when I left, so I am pretty sure I know who the cookie monster is.
So, 4 days at the beach with my extended family did a world of good. I got some work done and didn’t feel completely overwhelmed/guilty when I got back to work. I was well rested, a little tanner, and feeling like life really isn’t all that bad. It would be better, though, if I had the chance to take a long head-clearing walk on the beach every morning and every night. And macaroons wouldn’t hurt, either (seriously, even if you don’t like coconut, those cookies were awesome).
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