Whatta Wicked Weekend

Firstly, since I just set it down for a few seconds, let me express just how much I am enjoying the novel I am reading right now. I am SO SO close to finishing "Once" by James Herbert. It is a truly well-written mixture of fantasy, intrigue and sensuality that I have scarcely been able to set down over the past two days. Two thumbs up!

Let me see, let me see... went to see Gary Allen, the country singer, on Friday night. He did a free concert at the Maryland State Fair. Well, free minus the six dollar admission fee. He and his group put on a good show and I was happy to see a minimum of toothless grins in the audience... but also quite a few fair ladies. I can't say that I knew who Gary Allen was before the show, but I did enjoy a number of songs he played. One about a woman at a bar who was poison, quite a few about drinking, and the only one I recognized... which is actually one of the few country songs I have heard in the past years that I really loved... as in, driving down the road and you hear it and wait to see if they announce who was singing? Anyway, it was the soung about 'tough little boys, grow up to be men... turn into big babies again...' It's about fatherhood and the joys therein. Few songs really reach out to me, but that one did pretty well. And I was ever so flattered to have the singer himself staring at me all night.... er, um... or at least at the girl standing a few feet in front of us.

Gettysburg was fun, though not as I remembered it. We really did a quick pass of the battlefield itself and then on to some shopping as the rains came in. I would have seen more, but had to respond to a blasted emergency at work via phone. Holly managed to get a GREAT shot of me while on the phone. My voice was very polite and soft over the phone, but the look on my face betrayed my inner thoughts. I have never seen myself look angry before! I looked PISSED! Even my body language with my hand on the back of my hip. Too funny!

I poured through some gift shops for souvenirs to bring home and found a few interesting things and a gag gift for dad. I believe I spent most of my time in the art gallery. I was considering several paintings, but settled on just one in the end.

One was a massive water color of the Battle of Trafalgar. It depicted the moment when Lord Nelson took the Victory in perpendicular to the French line, cutting between two warships and raking them with fire. The title for the painting was "The Nelson Touch" The title struck me as very cool. This was very endearing to me, as Nelson is my namesake. It was only $450 framed, and I may still purchase it, but I am not sure about the water color. Granted, it was done very very well, but the 'feel' of watercolor versus oil is so different. I may chew on it a while and order it anyway.

Another piece I was looking at was of the Jefferson Memorial from a vantage across the water. The forefront of the picture was limbs with cherry blossoms and the time of day is set to be early morning with a light fog or myst clinging to the shallows. For $425 I considered it, as well.

But the one I purchased was much cheaper. If it were the same cost as the others, I would still have purchased it. I just had to have it. Though I may give it to my father. The picture is of George W. Bush behind the podium with the President's seal on it with his head hung in prayer from 9/11. Fading in and out over various portions of the background is the American flag, a white cross in the center and focused around the President's head. To the bottom left of the podium is the Statue of Liberty. To the bottom right is the statue from the Iwo Jima memorial. And featured to the left and right of the President are Presidents Lincoln and Washington, both of whom have their chins tucked in prayer with their hats over their hearts. Below the work is featured a quote from scripture which lends meaning to the entire image and the timeof sorrow it represents. I have not yet memorized it fully, so I won't hack it up here until I can faithfully represent it. Needless to say, the picture is dramatic.

Today? Rennfest! But more about that later when I have more time. Also met the family this weekend. Weird how it always makes you nervouse beforehand, even when unnecessary. Also in news... no more allergies?!?! Can it be? Ciao, and chow-chow!

Dude, you ever had chow-chow?
What IS this stuff?
I dunno, but it's been in that jar since the wedding last month and we're afraid to open it.
Ok. This calls for harsh measures. We're going to need a hot dog, some bruschetta, nachos and pizza.
There's no way that goes on pizza.
No, I just want pizza... with caramelized onions. Chicken and pesto on the other side.
It's done. Beer?
With chow-chow? Let's start with the Cab...

Hello. My name is Diego Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!

Well, I never got to see Constantine past the scene where he and she are in the street and attacked by the flying demons. The DVD (widescreen, of course) has been sitting on top of my dusty PS2 for several weeks now. I guess one more night won't hurt? But several hours later I was flipping through some channels before bed and came upon Princess Bride. Ok, so it's more of a cult classic with young women, but it was still a cool movie to me when I was a kid, too. The six-fingered man, the the rodents of unnatural size, the gypsy deciding which goblet is poisoned... all very cool. And, of course, poor Andre the Giant. LOL, you know... someone ought to write a book titled "Everything I Know I Learned from Princess Bride." Ah, nostalgia.

Work has been quite unbelievable this week. It seems that the Summer is just heating up as it draws to a close. Medicare billing problems persist, resignations are flowing, disciplinary actions are being drawn out of me (I don't like having to do it, but it comes with the territory), and etc. I have not slept much this week and have managed only two complete exercise sessions since the weekend. Exciting? Of course! But getting up at 5:15 to "get a jump on the day" is never a wholly voluntary act. At work by 6! I feel like a cat whose owner has rubbed his hair in the wrong direction, making it stick up. That's what it's like when you're not a morning person and you wake up in the middle of your normal sleep pattern.

Ah well. 'Twas just a quick note to catch up. Shel, have a good last day or two. I'll be around tonight, so I'll give the famdamily a call. I hope someone is enjoying this beautiful day outside! =)

Mud Volleyball, and Other Awesomeness...

The drive home was, well, unbearably LONG through the rain and the incessant stop-and-go traffic of a Friday evening rush hour. Bleh. But I made it! I walked in the door, greeted everyone for a few minutes, and promptly walked right back through the same door for the night. LOL "Hi, I'm back. See you in the morning!"

GREAT NEWS! My best friend, Brian, is now engaged to his paramour. She will soon be Mrs. Pria White. Yay! I was psyched. He went to pop the question at the Cliff House in Maine, where my family, ex and I had spent a morning last Fall. Such a picturesque location! I had not originally thought to pop any sort of question there, but I had considered it for a ceremony location. Anywho, he didn't do it there because he wanted to wait and ask her father first. However, her family was trapped in Africa due to the British Airways strike, so he had to wait until returning to Connecticut. To make a long story short, she did, of course, accept and they have already been swept up in the family merriment surrounding the occasion. By my guesstimate, I feel I stand about a 50/50 shot of being Best Man. Larry has known him longer, but is a jerk and not overly involved in the relationship. Ben and I have both known Brian for an equal length of time. Ben is overseas though, and I have been asked for much advice through this whole recent process... so between the three of us, I feel it's 50/50 for me, so I would not be surprised if one of the others were to receive the honor but I would still much rather it be me! =) I mean, DUH!

On Saturday I got out of bed at what seemed like an unholy hour... for a Saturday, at least... to go "play in the mud." I donned all my best clothing that I never want to wear again and headed out with the sister. Once we caught up with the team, we staked out a good spot for our small camp and started taping up. That's right, when you play mud volleyball you have to duct tape yourself up! LOL The arches of your shoes and around your ankles need to be tightly wrapped so you don't lose your sneakers in the mud. Even so, some people were seen grasping through the murk looking for lost articles. Knees, it was proven, are also a good location for duct tape... for although the field is full of mud, there are PLENTY of stones underneath the surface to dig into your skin. I should know, I look like I fell off a moving motorcycle and got dragged by my knees! Two days later, I am still surprised at how sore my quads and hips are. You might think that your calves would take the brunt of the punishment like normal, but it was the hips and thighs that took the most abuse. This was likely due to the suction we had to overcome just to be able to move. Some of the girls in their light weight would go to jump and their whole center of gravity would go up... only to have their whole body slam down into the mud because their feet never overcame the sucking mud. LOL They looked like spindly trees falling over. But good lord, was it nice when it came time after each match to get cleaned up! They ran the fire hoses for everyone to wash up... and what a show it was when the girls came over to stand in the high-pressure water spray! MMM MMM! More than a few of them were putting on quite a show. ;)

As for our team, we lost terribly. We put up a valiant fight! However, our team of six versus teams of eight and nine could simply not keep up. In simple terms of open space and limited mobility, we were left wide open. We all made some excellent plays, though. I've got a few good shots of me diving and jumping. I just wish I had got my hair cut before the game. Two months of growth had me looking like a shaggy dog in the mud! But then, once you got coated in the crud it was all good. Mud makes both excellent protection against sunburn and a superb insulator. =) Thank you, Doctor Science.

Haircut.... oh boy.... I am SO changing salons. Yes, I go to a salon. LOL I've gone to the same place since I was about 12, so I've always stuck with them. I've always known the stylists growing up and who to trust with the shears or not. But they were busy this weekend, so they referred me to a place they're associated with down the street... and... well... I might never go back! I went in and they wash your hair like normal, but then I got this ten minute head and neck massage by a beautiful girl named Nicole. Oh boy, after the volleyball game, driving home the night before, and everything else we know that has been happening in my life... well, mostly just that third thing... it felt GREAT to just sit there and be pampered. Talk about stress relief. So there's that, but all of their stylists at this place were younger and cuter. Now, is it that I'm freshly released, that I'm a fairly eligible bachelor, or that I'm just so confident that I keep getting numbers? Oh who cares?! If it's working, whatever it is, it'd probably bust if I messed with it! LOL

Two more weeks in D.C. I have begun the countdown. Now the trick is scheduling my nights and my one remaining weekend to be able to see what I want to see while still saying proper goodbyes to everyone. This weekend I am planning on the Maryland State Fair for a country music concert on Friday (I know, I know... not my choice), a private tour of Gettysburg, and I am definitely going to hit the Rennaisance Fair that opens for the Fall in Annapolis. So the weekend should rock.

Oh, this is funny. I just got a funny IM from someone trying to scam money from Africa. Pretty blatant, but I imagine that people still fall for it.

Tonight... out to dinner and. And? I dunno. 38-C. You tell me. ;)

Clarendon Ballroom / Pentagon

Had a good time last night. Got out of work, ironed some clothes while waiting for some chicken and pasta to cook, and even took a short nap before heading out across the city. The evening's destination was a night club called Clarendon Ballroom. I don't know if it has a big rep or not, but it was a great time. The second floor dance floor was closed last night, so everyone was bustling up on the rooftop. This made for a good atmosphere. Drinks weren't TOO overpriced at $3.25 a bottle, and I made sure to grab a couple of rounds.

The group for this evening consisted of Jami (25yo IT professional, Polish/Italian, skinny and toned and a definite 10), her sister Kim (24yo CPA, more Italian looking, skinny and a definite 9), and a new person, their friend Genoviese (sp?) (works for USPS and moving to NY this weekend, a blazing 8). So right off the bat you know I'm enjoying myself. Not that I was out looking for a connection, just hanging out having some beers and talking really. Was pretty nice. Met a couple of other people over the night, had more beers, and basically enjoyed the evening out on the roof. Very cool, especially with a nearly full moon rising overhead. The back of the patio turned into an impromptu dance floor after a while, and had you been there you would have seen me cutting quite the proverbial rug! Yes, I need to get better shoes than my tan Bostonians for this type of thing. My feet were HURTIN' by the time we left.

And so, after another fun night "chillin' in the club, sippin' on some bub" we called it quits around 11. On the way home from Arlington I hopped on 395 and... you guessed it... went right past the Pentagon! That creature of lore! This time, however, I managed not to drive past it 5 times successively while attempting to reach my destination. That was good. I was tired and still a bit buzzed. I'm going to have to dig up a new crew in CT to hang with like this. Everyone I know is no longer single and not really looking to hit the clubs like this. Ok, and I refuse to hang with Larry. =P

Tonight? Off to dinner and then to see Raiders of the Lost Ark on an outdoor screen. Tres cool. Wish I had thought of it earlier, because last weekend they played Prisoner of Azkaban! D'oh!

Ooooh, must pack car! Remind me! Also must call to schedule a haircut. I am one scruffy-looking dude at the moment. Need to get shorn.

Blogthings....

Your Musical Tastes Match: Nicole Kidman

See her whole playlist here (iTunes required)

What Celebrity Matches Your Taste in Music?

Your Daddy Is Ozzy Osbourne

What You Call Him: Pa Why You Love Him: He knows best

Who's Your Daddy?

Your Hidden Talent

You have the power to persuade and influence others. You're the type of person who can turn a whole room around. The potential for great leadership is there, as long as you don't abuse it. Always remember, you have a lot more power over people than you might think!

What's Your Hidden Talent?

You are elegant, withdrawn, and brilliant. Your mind is a weapon, able to solve any puzzle. You are also great at poking holes in arguments and common beliefs. For you, comfort and calm are very important. You tend to thrive on your own and shrug off most affection. You prefer to protect your emotions and stay strong.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Your Ideal Relationship is Marriage

You've dated enough to know what you want. And that's marriage - with the right person. You're serious about settling down some time soon. Even if you haven't met the person you want to get hitched to!

What's Your Ideal Relationship?

How You Life Your Life

You are honest and direct. You tell it like it is. You say whatever is on your mind. Other people's reactions don't phase you. You tend to have one best friend you hang with, as opposed to many aquaintences. You have one big dream in your life, and you never lose sight of it.

How Do You Live Your Life?

In a Past Life...

You Were: A Genius Alchemist. Where You Lived: Iran. How You Died: Killed in Battle.

Who Were You In a Past Life?

Your Summer Ride is a Beetle Convertible

Fun, funky, and a little bit euro. You love your summers to be full of style and sun!

What's Your Summer Ride?

Your Hawaiian Name is:

Kane Mauli

What's your Hawaiian Name?

Your Kissing Purity Score: 6% Pure

For you, it's all kiss and no talk. You're in a permanent lip lock.

Kissing Purity Test

News at 7... here's Tom with the weekend wrap-up...

I'm just taking a few minutes to check mail and such whilst waiting to put the laundry in the dryer. Using two washers and two dryers is definitely the way to go, and I plan to set my house up like this someday. Why waste ALL day waiting for it to cycle load after load?

Let me see... Friday...

I got off work and ran to shower up. A friend and co-worker of mine suggested I check out a club over in Bethesda. We stopped at a Mexican restaurant and sat outside on the bistro where they had live mariachis. The chicken I had ordered left me salivating for more long after it was devoured. Went for a walk and toured the local area to help digest and kill time before heading down to the club. By the time we arrived it was fairly busy and the patrons were lining up at the door. Escalades, Mercedes, a Porsche and.... yes, one limo adorned the sidewalk by the entrance.

Now, the entrance was the exciting part! I'm not used to dropping names, but that is how parts of this town work... so I chatted with the girl collecting the cover charge at the door and she called a fellow over. This is "Tommy the Matchmaker." A short fellow, and full of charisma. Yes, he got the message that was left and he'll take care of us. Now, let me take a step back and mention that I am here on a date. I had dismissed Tommy's moniker at first, thinking it was a unique nickname. But I had not done my research on what this club was all about. Apparently, going back to the early 90's this club has had a reputation for being a singles club. Quite a BIG reputation in the area. So much so that the walls are strewn with pictures of couples who met there and have since married. There are also news articles to be found throughout the establishment which have been written about this unique destination. And no... before you ask, I do NOT know the divorce rate of all those happy couples whose pictures are posted for public view.

So he knows exactly who we are, asks us a few questions through conversation, then has us follow him inside. Now, I'm not ready for what came next! He has a PA system pumped through the DJ and announces us as we enter. After getting the club's attention in his now usual charismatic way, he introduces my date and myself... who we are, where we come from, and what we do. Now, my saying it this way sounds boring and blaise, but Tommy made us sound like a million dollars. "...and accompanying him this evening is one of the CIA's most accomplished bio-chemists. She has the best of both worlds; looks that kill, and friends who will do it for her." LOL I didn't remember everyone who was there, but there was the American ambassador to Germany, a federal financier back from an advisory trip to the government of France, several casino guys, etc. Through conversation I also met the owner of a brokerage firm, several kept wives, and ended up spending a lot of time chatting with the VERY wealthy Korean widow of an Italian man who owned several businesses. She had been married twice, and now wore two HUGE... I mean HUGE!! rocks, both on her left hand. She was very intrigued by my date and I, and kept asking questions. Once it came out that she was Korean and I told her about Shelley, we were locked in conversation. Between pumping hands, drinking, and shooting a game of pool... I was CONSTANTLY on the dance floor. OK, so I still have no rhythm. I freely admit to this fact! But also, no one has ever before made the attempt to, you know, teach me to dance. I was always ridiculed and then left to stumble... this by a girl who was a dancer! LOL But Srilatha is a dancer, too, and was giving me some very good pointers. Oh, let me take back one thing... Liz taught me some dances, too. So I guess I'm on the learning curve? But the whole night we're dancing, all eyes were on us and one other couple who would hit the floor. Again, admittedly, I doubt it had anything to do with me, but with the Indian princess wiggling and rhything next to me. SO HOT! Maybe she DOES have some of that spark I was looking for! Where did the quiet reserved girl go? LOL

Friday ended with a rather extensive walk downtown and some good 'ol IHOP eggs and bacon.

Saturday... SHIT! I have to meet Shelley, Pearl, Rudy and Justin at the Smithsonian by noon! ARG! After getting in so late (early?) I just wanted to sleep, but I tossed myself through the shower and trudged on. Latha already had plans with her friends today, so she is rehearsing some skits for a show she is taking part in for the Indian Independence Day and then going to a BBQ/volleyball match with the same friends. I left with plenty of time to reach the Smithsonian, but promptly caught every red light from the end of RT50 to Jefferson. Minor arg. Found the crew and we went exploring. Rudy and I shared similar depths of knowledge concerning ... well, each and every aircraft, rocket, missile, space capsule, or wingflap in the building. That was somewhat funny! After a pricy McDonald's lunch, we went to the Museum of Native American Heritage. This newly-opened museum had quite a lot of architectural touches intended to reflect the values and the traditions of the various native american tribes. Overall? A pretty cool museum. Everyone else stayed with the tour, which only hit the core parts of each section of the museum. I strayed off the path and did my own exploring and learning while remaining 'with' the tour. Lots of cool photos.... though I am still learning how to use the manual settings on the camera and some came out slightly blurred. Bummer.

OH! Shelley! You have the bibliography, correct? She was able to find a number of books with information pertaining to my Tuscaroran heritage. E-mail me that list sometime, I'm eager to find those books!

Well, we all trekked back to Momu's house for dinner Saturday night. Pearl's mom has a beautiful house up in Frederick. We spent much of the night on the deck just chilling and sharing stories. I cannot describe just how GOOD it felt to relax. It felt like the first time in a few weeks where I've just sat back and let go. Most nights I stumble down the hall from work and collapse into bed... forcing myself to read a few pages of whichever book is in front of me before giving in to the coma that awaits. Lately, I've been handling a lot of red alerts at work... often piling up one upon the other... and while I'm not off kilter or affected by the stress adversely, it does just make me feel bone tired at times. Yes, still getting in what exercise I can with a pair of bar-bells and a crunch mat. LOL I've taken to running a bit at night. Yes, running. Not jogging. God did not imbue me with a speed toggle to set to 'Jog'. I can walk, walk briskly, or run like a bat out of hell! LOL Meesa likes it. My cardio is improved and my legs feel stronger. However, after the miles (literally) of walking between Friday and Saturday together... my left hip was beginning to complain this evening before I did the laundry. Bugger.

Oh, so we stayed up to watch The Aviator. Cool flick. It was really a decent film, albeit over three hours long! Given the option, I stayed overnight at Momu's instead of risking the drive back so late. Many dreams! Not the type that express 'something is coming' but the type that are just abstract fictions from my mind. I'll have to jot it down later, because it was a REALLY good plot for a tv show or book. I swear to the Lord Almighty, my dreams are wicked. And if I could remember just portions of them I could sell books like Tom Clancy at a military expo! LOL

Everyone got up late. I couldn't tell what time it was, and after luxuriating and trying to go back to sleep three times I finally got up. It was 10, but it was just me and Momu downstairs. We hung out for a while, but I realized I had a serious case of bed head and excused myself to go freshen up. We went to Mary's place for lunch... another BBQ, YAY! =) Shot a few games of pool... I lost them all, and did I mention that I was somehow sharking the game at Yacht Club?... anyway, EXCELLENT food again and some great people. Suddenly, I have an army of people who have heard my story and are trying to introduce me to people. Everywhere I go... oh, I have a niece in the treasury department, a friend at work who's an underwriter, a this, that and the other thing. It's very nice. Extremely flattering, in fact. I don't picture myself as being as marketable as everyone seems to think. It's nice, but also somewhat uncomfortable. Do I want to find the Love of my life? YES! The sooner, the better. And I'm doing what I can for my part to get there. But every once in a while the whole game feels like a waste of time. That goes with the territory as you ride the tide up and down, and dating is fun, but I've said it before... so get ready to hear it again... all I want is a stable relationship. I want to be with the one I know I'll be with forever, and I want her to feel that way with me, too. No games. Now, I thought that was precisely where I was previously. For my part, it took me a while to realize it to myself, and we all know that it fell apart in the 11th hour. So here I am, a guy looking for love. Finding a lot, actually. And that must be a good thing, I suppose; being wanted, that is. But my own wanter isn't quite wanting anyone else yet. Thought I had one good shot, so I wheeled the old wanter all the way back to CT for nought. It feels like one of those OLD aircraft engines before electric starts where you actually had a primer in the form of a rifle cartridge (no bullet) which you 'fired' into the engine to get it started. And I'm concerned about rationing the cartridges... how many do I have left? How many will I need? And how do I keep from wasting them on false starts without becoming a cold bastard? No, I'm not feeling nearly as melodramatic as my words SOUND. Just saying, you know, when will it be right and ok to love again? With all the depth of feeling and... at least the belief of reciprocation as before? Of course, there are deeper questions I ask, but I hold those cards a bit closer than a public forum as I go forward. Ok, I'm babbling...and y'all have a good idea of how my weekend has been. I'm going to go shower up before Latha comes by. I picked up a copy of Constantine (wide-screen, of course!) that we're going to pop in tonight.

Here's to the new week! (T-Minus Labor Day, and counting!)