Monday, May 31, 2004
Post-wedded bliss! It was a pretty wedding in a quaint chapel followed by a run reception at the Simpson House. Who would have thought that the Simpson’s house was so big? It certainly does not look that big on TV. Really the reception was at a place called the Simpson house. Very deftly located across the street from the hotel where most of us were bunking: Kudos to David’s new wife (Trish) for selecting that combination. The two of the were also bright enough to get a room at the hotel for the night so they could also just stumble back to their room without having to drive anywhere, which they did.
But, before I go into any detail on the wedding, I have something to rant about! We arrived back at the airport about 2 hours before out flight because that is what the rental agent told us to do. I, of course, do not enjoy hanging out in airports but ML really prefers to be early rather than late. This is certainly cause us problems in our retirement years. :-) But, since the car rental told us, I knew there was going to be little I could possibly do. Returned the car and arrived at the Kansas City airport with over two hours to wait. So, after taking a few short naps, I have plenty of time to write this. (Michelle (my oldest sister) always wants to know how I have time to write these.) Okay, so were getting closer to the ranting…we get already to go through security: I take off my glasses, wedding right, necklace (a little Star of David) and I make sure that I have nothing in my pockets. I’m wearing shorts, so I don’t have a best to worry about and I take my computer out so I can lay it flat in a tray. There is only guy in front of me, a fellow that was already through collecting his bags and Mary Lee is just behind me getting her ID checked. All of the sudden, the guy in front of me takes a step back to let him pass and I start getting very suspicious. That is one of the maneuvers made when someone is going to steal your computer. In retrospect it was a little silly to get nervous because there was no one else around and nowhere for anyone to really run off to, still, I was being watchful. I put my book bag on the conveyer first, then my computer followed by my luggage bad. I thought that would give me some protection if the guy behind me tries to take the computer and run off backwards and a little cushion against the person in front. I stepped up to the magnetron scanner thingy all ready to walk through. The fellow on the other side asked me if I wanted to take my shoes off incase they set the machine off to save time. I said they were just sneakers and have never set them off before. I should be okay. (This, is not the sucker move!) I walked though with NO problem and was immediately taken aside to be searched! What was worse, was now I was no where near my computer! ML, being the cleaver gal she is, took her shoes off and started watch the computer for me. I felt like saying at them, if you wanted me to take my shoes as then you should have just F*ING asked me to take off my shoes. I would have been okay with that, but no, they had to give me an option and since I did NOT go beep, they just had to mess with me anyway. Normally, things like this don’t bother and this really doesn’t bother me either except, I think I have discovered that TSA is NOT doing such a hot job. Here’s why: Many of you know that I have a slick little GPS received that I can hook up to my computer. I have software on my computer that will make up driving directions (much like Mapquest) and then the GPS will show you where you are in the directions and what to do next. It is VERY slick but does really require a navigator since the computer is a little bulky. (I could hook it up to my PDA, but I’d have to preprogram the directions.) As you’d expect, I take this with me on every trip that I’m going to be driving. It especially comes in handy when I get lost, as you can imagine. My point is this, I have this GPS in my carryon luggage. I’m allowed to have it although I imagine I’m not supposed to use it during flight since it has receiving equipment. (You know, I still don’t get that. Certainly, you don’t want to use any equipment that sends signals out but if it is just receiving then what possible difference could it make…none!) Well, before all of the enhanced security business got start, I tried it in an airplane and I know that mine does not update fast enough to work. But, that is not my point. I was pulled aside because I was given the option to take off my shoes, which I did not do and I did NOT set off the scanner. When, if there really was reason to have suspicion raised, it should be because I’m carrying on board a computer with a GPS attached to it! You know, like DUH! That should get me a rectal probe! Oh, he is wearing sneakers onto a plane. He must be a bad man, a very bad man.
Don’t misinterpret what I am saying about the increased security. I am all for it! You can ask my dad how high strung I am about travel safety. (He thinks it’s because I’m crazy, but I know it is for all too rational reasons like the deficiency noted here.) I want TSA to scrutinize and call people on stuff. And, often they do. But it needs to be better than often. And, to be “fair and balanced” (I just finished reading Al Frankin’s book Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them and I loved every page!) when I take along my otoscope and ophthalmoscope on a flight, it always draws attention and questions. And, it absolutely should! It’s got a battery pack inside a tube surrounded by a bunch of electronics. That is, it looks like a damn pipe bomb. Usually, when I tell them that I’m a medical student and it’s used for looking in eyes and ears, they give it a wipe test on the mass spectrometer and send me on my way. (They are always relieved when I tell them what it is and they always bring everyone over to look at it.) Needless to say, I have stopped bringing it with me! But, they do a good job with it and it is a much more substantial find than whether or not I WANT to take off my sneakers.
Now, back to the wedding: we all gathered over at David’s house (we would not have found it without the computer because I brilliantly left all of the directions at home) and then the tree of us (Dave, ML and me) went out to lunch and to run errands. We picked up some last minute flowers and 25 bags of ice. Drove to the house and started chilling all of the liquor and beer for the reception and loaded into a minivan. Three of David’s friends, who were invited to the reception but not the wedding (it was a supper small chapel) would unload the goods (after we delivered the minivan to the Simpson house) and one of them was our bartender for the night. All three of these people I had met in Las Vegas. David had already picked up the tuxedos and we all headed to the hotel/Simpson house (remember, they were next door to each other?). We stopped by David’s parents room to say hello and that was nice. I have not seen them since I moved to the NIH back in 1997. Everyone was dressed and the wedding party, which included the bride, groom, me and Trish’s sister Michelle (the maid of honor) headed to some museum for the first photo op. And, it involved shuttlecocks, but don’t ask me to explain.
Once that was done, we went to the chapel for some more picture taking. There were some brief moments of rain but we worked around it. I said hello to David’s two sisters, Susan and Linda and we almost immediately started into our old banter of name calling! David’s mom just shook her head and said, “nothing ever changes!” Really, it was great to see them again. I’m sure it has been about 15 years since I’ve seen the two of them.
The sun started shining just in time for the beginning of the wedding. We did the standard wedding entrances and right into the short ceremony. Maybe 15 or 20 minutes. Unfortunately, my feet started killing me when I was standing up there! At one point, David and Trish when to give a single white rose to honor each of their mothers. (These were the roses we went to buy earlier that day.) It was a very nice gesture, but I realized that when Trish would return, her gown would be draping down the stairs since her maid of honor, Michelle, had both of her hand full of flowers. I discretely gestured to the minister and asked her if I should deal with the train when she returns. Once Trish was next to the alter, I walked over to move the train. I whispered to Michelle and Trish, “Always a bride’s maid! Never a bride.” It was worth the little chuckle and I could not resist. The wedding went off without a hitch! We stood in a receiving line and shook everyone’s hand and then headed over to the Simpson’s house. I think the pictures speak for themselves. We all had a good time. When it was all over, a group was contemplating going to the gambling boats. ML and I had gone to the ones at Lake Charles and found that we just could not deal with the amount of smoke. We left feeling like we had smoked our first carton of cigarettes. But we did not try to dissuade the others. David and Trish decided not to go and asked if we wanted to go to the hotel bar to keep drinking, but I thought since there was still some left over we should grab a couple of bottles of champagne! They did not know that there was any left and I don’t think our hotel actually had a bar. ML and I stopped by our room to grab the gift bad of (food) goodies that they had waiting for us at the hotel, and we partied for a few more hours in their room.
After getting ourselves collected at the hotel, we met up with David and Trish back at their house. They managed to get up about an hour before us. We hung out for a bit, ate lunch and then headed out to the airport. But, you already know that part of the story!
We’re in the air now on our way to Atlanta and hopefully the rest of the trip will be uneventful so I won’t have to add anything.
But, here are some points of note: did you know that Kansas City has the largest number of fountains per capita in the US? (There are TON’S of them!!! But, oddly, none at the airport.) Did you know that the airport goes by KCI but the official initials are MCI. This made things a little confusing on the way to the airport. Did you know that you can take a computer driven GPS on a plane without question but if you don’t take your sneakers off, it does not matter if you set of the metal detector, they will hassle you?
But, before I go into any detail on the wedding, I have something to rant about! We arrived back at the airport about 2 hours before out flight because that is what the rental agent told us to do. I, of course, do not enjoy hanging out in airports but ML really prefers to be early rather than late. This is certainly cause us problems in our retirement years. :-) But, since the car rental told us, I knew there was going to be little I could possibly do. Returned the car and arrived at the Kansas City airport with over two hours to wait. So, after taking a few short naps, I have plenty of time to write this. (Michelle (my oldest sister) always wants to know how I have time to write these.) Okay, so were getting closer to the ranting…we get already to go through security: I take off my glasses, wedding right, necklace (a little Star of David) and I make sure that I have nothing in my pockets. I’m wearing shorts, so I don’t have a best to worry about and I take my computer out so I can lay it flat in a tray. There is only guy in front of me, a fellow that was already through collecting his bags and Mary Lee is just behind me getting her ID checked. All of the sudden, the guy in front of me takes a step back to let him pass and I start getting very suspicious. That is one of the maneuvers made when someone is going to steal your computer. In retrospect it was a little silly to get nervous because there was no one else around and nowhere for anyone to really run off to, still, I was being watchful. I put my book bag on the conveyer first, then my computer followed by my luggage bad. I thought that would give me some protection if the guy behind me tries to take the computer and run off backwards and a little cushion against the person in front. I stepped up to the magnetron scanner thingy all ready to walk through. The fellow on the other side asked me if I wanted to take my shoes off incase they set the machine off to save time. I said they were just sneakers and have never set them off before. I should be okay. (This, is not the sucker move!) I walked though with NO problem and was immediately taken aside to be searched! What was worse, was now I was no where near my computer! ML, being the cleaver gal she is, took her shoes off and started watch the computer for me. I felt like saying at them, if you wanted me to take my shoes as then you should have just F*ING asked me to take off my shoes. I would have been okay with that, but no, they had to give me an option and since I did NOT go beep, they just had to mess with me anyway. Normally, things like this don’t bother and this really doesn’t bother me either except, I think I have discovered that TSA is NOT doing such a hot job. Here’s why: Many of you know that I have a slick little GPS received that I can hook up to my computer. I have software on my computer that will make up driving directions (much like Mapquest) and then the GPS will show you where you are in the directions and what to do next. It is VERY slick but does really require a navigator since the computer is a little bulky. (I could hook it up to my PDA, but I’d have to preprogram the directions.) As you’d expect, I take this with me on every trip that I’m going to be driving. It especially comes in handy when I get lost, as you can imagine. My point is this, I have this GPS in my carryon luggage. I’m allowed to have it although I imagine I’m not supposed to use it during flight since it has receiving equipment. (You know, I still don’t get that. Certainly, you don’t want to use any equipment that sends signals out but if it is just receiving then what possible difference could it make…none!) Well, before all of the enhanced security business got start, I tried it in an airplane and I know that mine does not update fast enough to work. But, that is not my point. I was pulled aside because I was given the option to take off my shoes, which I did not do and I did NOT set off the scanner. When, if there really was reason to have suspicion raised, it should be because I’m carrying on board a computer with a GPS attached to it! You know, like DUH! That should get me a rectal probe! Oh, he is wearing sneakers onto a plane. He must be a bad man, a very bad man.
Don’t misinterpret what I am saying about the increased security. I am all for it! You can ask my dad how high strung I am about travel safety. (He thinks it’s because I’m crazy, but I know it is for all too rational reasons like the deficiency noted here.) I want TSA to scrutinize and call people on stuff. And, often they do. But it needs to be better than often. And, to be “fair and balanced” (I just finished reading Al Frankin’s book Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them and I loved every page!) when I take along my otoscope and ophthalmoscope on a flight, it always draws attention and questions. And, it absolutely should! It’s got a battery pack inside a tube surrounded by a bunch of electronics. That is, it looks like a damn pipe bomb. Usually, when I tell them that I’m a medical student and it’s used for looking in eyes and ears, they give it a wipe test on the mass spectrometer and send me on my way. (They are always relieved when I tell them what it is and they always bring everyone over to look at it.) Needless to say, I have stopped bringing it with me! But, they do a good job with it and it is a much more substantial find than whether or not I WANT to take off my sneakers.
Now, back to the wedding: we all gathered over at David’s house (we would not have found it without the computer because I brilliantly left all of the directions at home) and then the tree of us (Dave, ML and me) went out to lunch and to run errands. We picked up some last minute flowers and 25 bags of ice. Drove to the house and started chilling all of the liquor and beer for the reception and loaded into a minivan. Three of David’s friends, who were invited to the reception but not the wedding (it was a supper small chapel) would unload the goods (after we delivered the minivan to the Simpson house) and one of them was our bartender for the night. All three of these people I had met in Las Vegas. David had already picked up the tuxedos and we all headed to the hotel/Simpson house (remember, they were next door to each other?). We stopped by David’s parents room to say hello and that was nice. I have not seen them since I moved to the NIH back in 1997. Everyone was dressed and the wedding party, which included the bride, groom, me and Trish’s sister Michelle (the maid of honor) headed to some museum for the first photo op. And, it involved shuttlecocks, but don’t ask me to explain.
Once that was done, we went to the chapel for some more picture taking. There were some brief moments of rain but we worked around it. I said hello to David’s two sisters, Susan and Linda and we almost immediately started into our old banter of name calling! David’s mom just shook her head and said, “nothing ever changes!” Really, it was great to see them again. I’m sure it has been about 15 years since I’ve seen the two of them.
The sun started shining just in time for the beginning of the wedding. We did the standard wedding entrances and right into the short ceremony. Maybe 15 or 20 minutes. Unfortunately, my feet started killing me when I was standing up there! At one point, David and Trish when to give a single white rose to honor each of their mothers. (These were the roses we went to buy earlier that day.) It was a very nice gesture, but I realized that when Trish would return, her gown would be draping down the stairs since her maid of honor, Michelle, had both of her hand full of flowers. I discretely gestured to the minister and asked her if I should deal with the train when she returns. Once Trish was next to the alter, I walked over to move the train. I whispered to Michelle and Trish, “Always a bride’s maid! Never a bride.” It was worth the little chuckle and I could not resist. The wedding went off without a hitch! We stood in a receiving line and shook everyone’s hand and then headed over to the Simpson’s house. I think the pictures speak for themselves. We all had a good time. When it was all over, a group was contemplating going to the gambling boats. ML and I had gone to the ones at Lake Charles and found that we just could not deal with the amount of smoke. We left feeling like we had smoked our first carton of cigarettes. But we did not try to dissuade the others. David and Trish decided not to go and asked if we wanted to go to the hotel bar to keep drinking, but I thought since there was still some left over we should grab a couple of bottles of champagne! They did not know that there was any left and I don’t think our hotel actually had a bar. ML and I stopped by our room to grab the gift bad of (food) goodies that they had waiting for us at the hotel, and we partied for a few more hours in their room.
After getting ourselves collected at the hotel, we met up with David and Trish back at their house. They managed to get up about an hour before us. We hung out for a bit, ate lunch and then headed out to the airport. But, you already know that part of the story!
We’re in the air now on our way to Atlanta and hopefully the rest of the trip will be uneventful so I won’t have to add anything.
But, here are some points of note: did you know that Kansas City has the largest number of fountains per capita in the US? (There are TON’S of them!!! But, oddly, none at the airport.) Did you know that the airport goes by KCI but the official initials are MCI. This made things a little confusing on the way to the airport. Did you know that you can take a computer driven GPS on a plane without question but if you don’t take your sneakers off, it does not matter if you set of the metal detector, they will hassle you?
Thursday, May 27, 2004
Yippy! Last day of classes! Well, almost. There are three of us from the same small group who had written down that one of our clinical experiences was supposed to be Tuesday, but it was rescheduled to Monday without any of us noticing. So, we have a makeup tomorrow morning from 8a till noon. But, our last official class was today and I have officially attended ALL classes for my M1 year. How is that for a top gun gunner?! The last class was taught by my personal favorite professor, Dr. Shlafer, so that was nice. He’s loud, tries to be funny and it actually enthusiastic about the subject. A stark contrast to many of the other professors. I now have two exam to take, David’s wedding to attend over the weekend, and a summer to start loosing some of the weight I did not lose over the course of the school year!
And, before I forget, my dad and Libby did finally make it back from their trip in Turkey: safe and sound.
And, before I forget, my dad and Libby did finally make it back from their trip in Turkey: safe and sound.
Monday, May 24, 2004
Wow! That was an interesting weekend!
So, I did not have an exam this weekend and I decided, being the best man at my friend David’s wedding; I should be going to his bachelor-weekend-party in Las Vegas! David is a pretty tame guy, all things considered, so it was not completely out of control. But, it was close.
Originally, neither David nor I thought I’d be able to go. When I found out that I could I was going to just show up and surprise him! But, since it was so last second, I did not have the chance to track down his wife and ask her about the details without having to go through Dave. So, I just surprised him over the phone a few days before. That did make life a little easier in the long run.
Things did, however, get very interesting before I was even able to leave on Friday. After class, I was waiting for the bus and I noticed in the distance a distinctly green looking sky off in the distance. I had never seen a green sky during the day! I have seen green lightening at night. In fact, I remember one evening in my dorm room back at Emory. There was a super strong thunderstorm that woke me in the middle of the night and I went to look out the window. I noticed the green lighting against the green sky and I ask my girlfriend (at the time) what that meant. She said, rather deftly, “Green lightning means there’s a tornado, now come back to bed.” It was the come back to sleep version of come back to bed, as opposed to the other kind of “come back to bed.” In all fairness it was like 3 or 4a. And have you ever tried to fit two people on a single college bed? That’s a tough trick!
It was not raining yet when the Northwood bus pulled up. I got on and asked the driver how the bus does in a tornado. Apparently, I was loud enough that some of the bus patrons heard me and looked at me like I was crazy. I said that I was joking but look at the sky over there! Even through the tinted glass windows, you could tell that it was green! We started driving down the road and once the driver saw a good view of what I was talking about, he decided that it was time for a public service announcement. He told us that if DPS announced a tornado warning, he will pull over to the nearest campus building and we are to evacuate the bus into that building.
Driving along, you could blue sky not too far away. I thought we were out of it. Then, it hit! Super strong wind, blinding rain, and hail! The bus started rocking rather violently; I quickly apologized to the other patrons for jinxing us! I looked at the barometer on my watch (remember, the watch I had lost earlier in the year that was actually returned?) and the pressure had really plummeted. NOT a good sign. We kept driving along and then it started to break a little. I checked the pressure and it had started to rise again. At that point, DPS came over the CB and announced the tornado warning! The driver found a place to turn the bus around and evacuate it we did! Now, by all accounts, they missed it. The hail had already stopped, the sky was blue-gray and the pressure was already going back up, so they missed it by about 10 minutes. Still, we had to wait about 20 minutes before we were on the road again. Unfortunately, that left me with almost no time once I got home to finish packing and head back out the door to pick up ML and get to the airport. At this point, I knew that if something major had happened to the road, I would not make it.
I got lucky! All of the accidents were on the other side of the highway. This, of course, means ML was not lucky: Especially since it took us 20 minutes to get to the airport and it took her about 2.5 hours to get home. We really need to learn some alternate routes.
I had a pleasant flight down while reading Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, (a Fantastic read, I might add). Getting off of the plane, I asked around if anyone was a regular who could point me in the right direction of the cab stand. My masculine charms ensnared a pleasant fellow who was obviously playing on the other team—I seem to have a special knack for attracting gay men. I used to get hit on with some frequency back in Galveston. It bothered me as a child, now I have learned how to use it to my advantage. The fellow had said that if I wasn’t going to the middle of the strip (which is where I was headed) he would have given me a ride. I’m pretty sure if I had been a little more suggestive I could have gotten that ride. But better judgment told me to pay the $13 cab fare.
I got to the hotel around 9:30p and immediately located my buddy and one of his friends at the bar. To protect the innocent, I will now skip forward! The three of us have walked down the strip about 3 miles. Maybe I should say I walked and one or both of them stumbled down the strip. (See, protecting the innocent.) Along the way, one of them tripped the other one of them, by accident, I’m sure, causing one of them to have to have some scraps and a little bump on the forehead. The next day we found out that that one had also injured his knee, elbow and finger during the fall.
While walking down the strip, one of them decided to pick up a, well, hooker! And not a “lady of the evening” mind you. She was a hooker. She was ready to take on all three of us! Her words, not mine. She quickly noted that I was sober (also her words) and thus quickly started ignoring me. Which was fine cause I was trying to get one of them to ignore her. Well, against my discouragement, one of them took her back to his room. David and I continued walking down the strip. Well, I guess you know it was not David going off with the hooker, but that’s probably a good thing to know.
Although we did not find out until the next night, the hooker story was pretty funny: they bought some beer and went back to his hotel room. At this point he had shelled out $200 for services that were to be rendered. (Not that I’ve ever had interactions with a prostitute, but I would not have expected that price!) They went up to his room and she said that she did not have a condom. He did not either. She suggested that he go get one and she would wait in the room for him. Well, a glimmer of light must have hit his head! He said, why don’t you go get a condom and I’ll wait for you here. She said that was okay and he stopped her and said, but you have to give me back the $200 and I’ll give it back when you come back. Amazingly, she said okay. She went to get a condom and he passed out! No one knows if she actually came back or not. I suspect she did, but he was out cold! That has got to be one of the rarest moments where NOT having a condom has saved someone from a world of hurt! (And disease, I suspect.) I’m just amazed he did not get rolled! I just wonder if she did not because she knew that I could identify her if needed. There is no way that David’s friend could. We actually found that out too. So, there were nine of David’s coworker friends down for the trip and we were all gathered on Saturday night. The friend that was messing around with the hooker was recapping the story for me because I wanted to know how he survived. Well, he knew he was drunk and he pointed out a woman that he thought was similar prettiness to the hooker. This was the best scientific evidence of the beer-goggle phenomenon that I have ever experienced. They all looked at me for validation of his impressions of who he was with. I shook my head and laughed. They howled! Not even close!
We did a lot of walking around, some drinking and a little gambling. I came out $9.20 ahead! It was nice to get home to my bed and my beloved. And, now I’m dealing with prosecuting my first patent and my last week of school. This weekend, Mary Lee and I will go to Kansas for David’s wedding! And then, summer!
So, I did not have an exam this weekend and I decided, being the best man at my friend David’s wedding; I should be going to his bachelor-weekend-party in Las Vegas! David is a pretty tame guy, all things considered, so it was not completely out of control. But, it was close.
Originally, neither David nor I thought I’d be able to go. When I found out that I could I was going to just show up and surprise him! But, since it was so last second, I did not have the chance to track down his wife and ask her about the details without having to go through Dave. So, I just surprised him over the phone a few days before. That did make life a little easier in the long run.
Things did, however, get very interesting before I was even able to leave on Friday. After class, I was waiting for the bus and I noticed in the distance a distinctly green looking sky off in the distance. I had never seen a green sky during the day! I have seen green lightening at night. In fact, I remember one evening in my dorm room back at Emory. There was a super strong thunderstorm that woke me in the middle of the night and I went to look out the window. I noticed the green lighting against the green sky and I ask my girlfriend (at the time) what that meant. She said, rather deftly, “Green lightning means there’s a tornado, now come back to bed.” It was the come back to sleep version of come back to bed, as opposed to the other kind of “come back to bed.” In all fairness it was like 3 or 4a. And have you ever tried to fit two people on a single college bed? That’s a tough trick!
It was not raining yet when the Northwood bus pulled up. I got on and asked the driver how the bus does in a tornado. Apparently, I was loud enough that some of the bus patrons heard me and looked at me like I was crazy. I said that I was joking but look at the sky over there! Even through the tinted glass windows, you could tell that it was green! We started driving down the road and once the driver saw a good view of what I was talking about, he decided that it was time for a public service announcement. He told us that if DPS announced a tornado warning, he will pull over to the nearest campus building and we are to evacuate the bus into that building.
Driving along, you could blue sky not too far away. I thought we were out of it. Then, it hit! Super strong wind, blinding rain, and hail! The bus started rocking rather violently; I quickly apologized to the other patrons for jinxing us! I looked at the barometer on my watch (remember, the watch I had lost earlier in the year that was actually returned?) and the pressure had really plummeted. NOT a good sign. We kept driving along and then it started to break a little. I checked the pressure and it had started to rise again. At that point, DPS came over the CB and announced the tornado warning! The driver found a place to turn the bus around and evacuate it we did! Now, by all accounts, they missed it. The hail had already stopped, the sky was blue-gray and the pressure was already going back up, so they missed it by about 10 minutes. Still, we had to wait about 20 minutes before we were on the road again. Unfortunately, that left me with almost no time once I got home to finish packing and head back out the door to pick up ML and get to the airport. At this point, I knew that if something major had happened to the road, I would not make it.
I got lucky! All of the accidents were on the other side of the highway. This, of course, means ML was not lucky: Especially since it took us 20 minutes to get to the airport and it took her about 2.5 hours to get home. We really need to learn some alternate routes.
I had a pleasant flight down while reading Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, (a Fantastic read, I might add). Getting off of the plane, I asked around if anyone was a regular who could point me in the right direction of the cab stand. My masculine charms ensnared a pleasant fellow who was obviously playing on the other team—I seem to have a special knack for attracting gay men. I used to get hit on with some frequency back in Galveston. It bothered me as a child, now I have learned how to use it to my advantage. The fellow had said that if I wasn’t going to the middle of the strip (which is where I was headed) he would have given me a ride. I’m pretty sure if I had been a little more suggestive I could have gotten that ride. But better judgment told me to pay the $13 cab fare.
I got to the hotel around 9:30p and immediately located my buddy and one of his friends at the bar. To protect the innocent, I will now skip forward! The three of us have walked down the strip about 3 miles. Maybe I should say I walked and one or both of them stumbled down the strip. (See, protecting the innocent.) Along the way, one of them tripped the other one of them, by accident, I’m sure, causing one of them to have to have some scraps and a little bump on the forehead. The next day we found out that that one had also injured his knee, elbow and finger during the fall.
While walking down the strip, one of them decided to pick up a, well, hooker! And not a “lady of the evening” mind you. She was a hooker. She was ready to take on all three of us! Her words, not mine. She quickly noted that I was sober (also her words) and thus quickly started ignoring me. Which was fine cause I was trying to get one of them to ignore her. Well, against my discouragement, one of them took her back to his room. David and I continued walking down the strip. Well, I guess you know it was not David going off with the hooker, but that’s probably a good thing to know.
Although we did not find out until the next night, the hooker story was pretty funny: they bought some beer and went back to his hotel room. At this point he had shelled out $200 for services that were to be rendered. (Not that I’ve ever had interactions with a prostitute, but I would not have expected that price!) They went up to his room and she said that she did not have a condom. He did not either. She suggested that he go get one and she would wait in the room for him. Well, a glimmer of light must have hit his head! He said, why don’t you go get a condom and I’ll wait for you here. She said that was okay and he stopped her and said, but you have to give me back the $200 and I’ll give it back when you come back. Amazingly, she said okay. She went to get a condom and he passed out! No one knows if she actually came back or not. I suspect she did, but he was out cold! That has got to be one of the rarest moments where NOT having a condom has saved someone from a world of hurt! (And disease, I suspect.) I’m just amazed he did not get rolled! I just wonder if she did not because she knew that I could identify her if needed. There is no way that David’s friend could. We actually found that out too. So, there were nine of David’s coworker friends down for the trip and we were all gathered on Saturday night. The friend that was messing around with the hooker was recapping the story for me because I wanted to know how he survived. Well, he knew he was drunk and he pointed out a woman that he thought was similar prettiness to the hooker. This was the best scientific evidence of the beer-goggle phenomenon that I have ever experienced. They all looked at me for validation of his impressions of who he was with. I shook my head and laughed. They howled! Not even close!
We did a lot of walking around, some drinking and a little gambling. I came out $9.20 ahead! It was nice to get home to my bed and my beloved. And, now I’m dealing with prosecuting my first patent and my last week of school. This weekend, Mary Lee and I will go to Kansas for David’s wedding! And then, summer!
Monday, May 17, 2004
Oh, let’s see, I still have not heard from my dad. I have not heard from my little sister who seems to have two avenues of contact with them though I have one. Well, at this point, I imaging that there is little I can do.
So, I have a “cute” story to tell ya. I was reminded because we went to home depot to buy some wood so ML can make a flower box in the back yard. But, that is not the story. At least not yet!
When we got the apartment all set up we discovered that the proper place for one of the floor lamps was in a corner behind the couch. The problem was it was very awkward to turn it on and off. We looked around and finally found a remote controlled electrical outlet. We knew they existed because our friend, Betty, who lives in Galveston, got one so she could turn her outdoor Christmas lights on and off, easily. The one we found was a different brand from the one Betty had, but it was at a reasonable priced and would do the job. It’s had a little remote control with an on and off button, like you’d expect.
Being energy conscious, ML and I try not to leave lights on needlessly in the house and we usually perform some mild negative reinforcement when we make a mistake. Usually, we make some comment like, “What? Are you trying to land airplanes here?” (A line her father used to make.) After we got this little remote light switch we started saying that with increased frequency. We both swore up and down that we didn’t leave the light on, but there it was, turned on! Since we “try” to believe each other, the consideration was made that it switch was defective.
One morning, I was watching TV and eating breakfast. I think ML had already gone to work and I was having a leisurely morning. Out of the blue, the light suddenly turned on! Now, someone might say, you sat on the controller, which was the first thing that came to my mind until I looked up and saw the controller on top of the TV. So, there it was: the defect in live action. I told ML about it and we started thinking about returning it the next time we headed out that way.
A few days later I made a discovery: it was snowing outside and very cold. I was not sure if I had locked the car and I thought that maybe I could lock it from the living room sliding glass window: the car was not too far away. I held my hand up high so the signal from the car remote could make it. I pushed the button, and the living room light promptly turned on!!! I looked over my left shoulder with a big grin on my face! I walked over to the light’s remote controlled, turned the light off, and tried it again! Viola! Oddly, it only worked for turning the light on, not off. Later we discovered that pretty much anyone’s car remote would turn the light on if they are close enough. And the parking lot IS close enough! And, yes, my car alarm did turn on that cold winter night.
Now, we can leave the inside of the house dark knowing that when we walk up to the house, we can turn on the light without having to search around for a light switch. The other added bonus is that if we leave town, the light gets turned on rather randomly looking like we’re home. Good thing we don’t have one of these in the bed room! I’d be woken up every time someone came home in the evening. (ML, however, would certainly sleep through it. She can sleep through anything including my occasional snoring, her occasional snoring, and a 1000 Watt bulb shining in her face.)
So, I have a “cute” story to tell ya. I was reminded because we went to home depot to buy some wood so ML can make a flower box in the back yard. But, that is not the story. At least not yet!
When we got the apartment all set up we discovered that the proper place for one of the floor lamps was in a corner behind the couch. The problem was it was very awkward to turn it on and off. We looked around and finally found a remote controlled electrical outlet. We knew they existed because our friend, Betty, who lives in Galveston, got one so she could turn her outdoor Christmas lights on and off, easily. The one we found was a different brand from the one Betty had, but it was at a reasonable priced and would do the job. It’s had a little remote control with an on and off button, like you’d expect.
Being energy conscious, ML and I try not to leave lights on needlessly in the house and we usually perform some mild negative reinforcement when we make a mistake. Usually, we make some comment like, “What? Are you trying to land airplanes here?” (A line her father used to make.) After we got this little remote light switch we started saying that with increased frequency. We both swore up and down that we didn’t leave the light on, but there it was, turned on! Since we “try” to believe each other, the consideration was made that it switch was defective.
One morning, I was watching TV and eating breakfast. I think ML had already gone to work and I was having a leisurely morning. Out of the blue, the light suddenly turned on! Now, someone might say, you sat on the controller, which was the first thing that came to my mind until I looked up and saw the controller on top of the TV. So, there it was: the defect in live action. I told ML about it and we started thinking about returning it the next time we headed out that way.
A few days later I made a discovery: it was snowing outside and very cold. I was not sure if I had locked the car and I thought that maybe I could lock it from the living room sliding glass window: the car was not too far away. I held my hand up high so the signal from the car remote could make it. I pushed the button, and the living room light promptly turned on!!! I looked over my left shoulder with a big grin on my face! I walked over to the light’s remote controlled, turned the light off, and tried it again! Viola! Oddly, it only worked for turning the light on, not off. Later we discovered that pretty much anyone’s car remote would turn the light on if they are close enough. And the parking lot IS close enough! And, yes, my car alarm did turn on that cold winter night.
Now, we can leave the inside of the house dark knowing that when we walk up to the house, we can turn on the light without having to search around for a light switch. The other added bonus is that if we leave town, the light gets turned on rather randomly looking like we’re home. Good thing we don’t have one of these in the bed room! I’d be woken up every time someone came home in the evening. (ML, however, would certainly sleep through it. She can sleep through anything including my occasional snoring, her occasional snoring, and a 1000 Watt bulb shining in her face.)
So ID is FINALLY done. I was under the misguided impression that I would have an easier time with the viruses than I did with the bacteria. Which, was true to an extent, but still not an easy row to hoe. I wonder if that is how that saying really goes. We start our last two weeks of school learning Human Growth and Development as well as practicing Sexual History Taking!! And I think there’s a physical exam thrown in there for good measure too.
In less happy news, my Dad and Libby are on vacation in Istanbul this week. Just in time for four car bombings. CNN said no casualties, but I’m still waiting to hear from them. So, dad, if you read this, send out an e-mail! The two of them have the uncanny ability for walking into countries right when civil unrest breaks out. The last trip they took was to Cambodia. They did not even get out of the airport when the civil war broke out. So, now I just hope for their safe return!
To end with some happier news, I’m going to Las Vegas this weekend (no quiz this weekend) to spend a little bachelor-party time with my buddy David! I think the break will do me some good.
In less happy news, my Dad and Libby are on vacation in Istanbul this week. Just in time for four car bombings. CNN said no casualties, but I’m still waiting to hear from them. So, dad, if you read this, send out an e-mail! The two of them have the uncanny ability for walking into countries right when civil unrest breaks out. The last trip they took was to Cambodia. They did not even get out of the airport when the civil war broke out. So, now I just hope for their safe return!
To end with some happier news, I’m going to Las Vegas this weekend (no quiz this weekend) to spend a little bachelor-party time with my buddy David! I think the break will do me some good.
Wednesday, May 05, 2004
I consider myself to be a pretty good, upstanding, person. In the grand scheme of things! (For those of you that might chuckle at that observation.) Well, I’ve noted before that I get in trouble usually at my most innocent moments. And, this is certainly no exception. In fact, I think this is the most innocent moment thus far. Yesterday, apparently, the fine U of M police officer decided that it was time for the green convertible to get a ticket. To be clear, we have not driven the car since Sunday when I took my exam. Afterwards, I parked in the same lot that I have been parking in for the last nine months: in a normal spot, between the lines, and spaced evenly. Well officer Ely, decided that this car needed a ticket and issued one for parking without a sticker. It is only $20, but this is not about money: This is about principle! And, that means I have to drag my butt into court just because this officer was too darn lazy to *look* where the sticker is displayed, where it is supposed to be displayed and where every other car in the lot has it displayed! So, here is my little letter to the Parking Referee of Ann Arbor. And, yes, I will probably cut my hair again before appearing in court but there is not as much this time. (That is a reference to me getting OUT of a ticket in Hitchock, TX. To date (and the best of my knowledge), I am the only person at UTMB to ever do that successfully.)
Yes, I’m still in ID. Yes this is taking up WAY too much time. Yes, I had 20 minutes of weekend last weekend and No, I don’t expect this weekend to be any different.
Yes, I’m still in ID. Yes this is taking up WAY too much time. Yes, I had 20 minutes of weekend last weekend and No, I don’t expect this weekend to be any different.
