The Cycle Continues

I’m going back out to Arm.enia and I’m not happy about it at ALL. Not that I was excited about my other 5011 trips out there last summer and fall but at least the weather was reasonable and I was able to spend a weekend in London with the C’s after every trip.

I knew it was coming but I’d pushed it out of my mind because really who wants to travel to Arm.enia in freaking January/February! Well my dear blog friends I get to go on a shopping expedition this weekend for water proof boots and thermal underwear. While some of my other colleagues are headed to Laos, Cambodia, and Indonesia for month long assignments I’m a little peeved that I have to trek out to cold as hell Arm.enia.

Silver lining? I’m only gone for about 3 weeks and if I can successfully solve some of the problems with our personnel and get this project back on track then I will be able to make some demands regarding future assignments. Like no more freaking Eastern Europe. Who am I kidding this is a 5 year project and we’re only 8 months in. I’ll be going back there, just hopefully not as often as I have been over the last 8 months.

There goes my personal life for the next month, I don’t know how people in this life* continue to do it. I’ve been in it for 7 years and I’m still trying to figure it out. It’s hard as hell either way you look at it, but I’m trying to work it out. Career wise this is great but would I be willing to give up the work travel for some kids and a husband. Hell yeah. In my dating career I’ve only dated two other guys who were also in this life and one dude only traveled once in while and his assignments were usually only a week long. The other dude spent almost 5 months of our year long relationship overseas. Not good. One of my colleagues lives apart from her husband which wouldn’t be so bad if he wasn’t in freaking Afghanistan. I’m going to ask her how she does it.

I see the light at the end of the tunnel and will fight for what I feel is justified work recognition.

BTW straight from the headlines:

SNOW TO CONTINUE FALLING NEXT FIVE DAYS A spokeswoman for Arme.nian-Russian joint venture HayRusGazArd, Arme.nia's sole natural gas operator, said cutting off gas supplies to several rural areas was not prompted by a wreckage on a gas pipeline in southern Russia shipping gas to Georgia and Arm.enia.Record Snowfall Adds To Arm.enia’s Energy Woes Unusually heavy snowfalls coupled with freezing weather have blocked highways across Ar.menia and disrupted traffic in Ye.revan, complicating government efforts to prevent a serious energy crisis following a cut-off in Russian gas supplies.

*The life is really international development work where the pay is lousy but the work is oh so amazingly interesting.

Is it real?

I went to the gym today (yup I’m back on the gym bandwagon) and the T.V was tuned to ESPN and I started thinking about a conversation I had with a friend of mine a couple of weekends ago. While my friend was partially enthralled by the stories being reported on Sports Center. I started thinking, this isn’t real. The reporters covered their stories with zest and were clearly experts in the sports area. Yet I still didn’t get it, none of this was real.

I watched a reporter deliver her “news” story and when she and the anchors started analyzing the expressions of the coach of the game they were analyzing, I lost it. This isn’t real! If Sports Center doesn’t come on, if we don’t see the highlights or get the score of the game the world will still stay the same. The political situation in Haiti will continue to be fucked up, the war in Iraq will go on and life as we know it will continue. Yet the reporters on sports center are delivering the news like all of the world’s problems will be solved when we see the highlights of the game, realized that our team won and know that coach K’s face when Duke lost to Georgetown was that of disbelief.

Eh, I guess it does matter, it matters so much that sports and sports news is a gazillion dollar business. It matters so much that someone I know was willing to duck out of an acquaintances’ wedding he RSVP’d to, to watch the game. Although I raise an eyebrow at how serious sports are to some folks, whom am I to judge or begrudge someone’s obsession, I tivo road rules and real world.

sssshhhh the game is on.

Gone

Do you ever wonder what they’ll find when you’re gone? I was watching yet another episode of L&O, where Benson and Stabler were going through someone’s apartment after they were killed to get an idea of what happened. You know the whole clue thing.

Side Note: Oh my god Tivo is the shizznet, the best thing since sliced bread. I have a L&O, living single, and Family Guy marathon every weekend. I was even able to record a lone episode of Night Rider that was playing at 2 AM on a week night.

Imagine you’re sick and in the hospital and your parents or friends have to go through your stuff or god forbid you die pre maturely is there anything you would be embarrassed about them finding? I know it’s a bit morbid but it’s in the same line as always putting on hole less underwear and socks just in case you’re in an accident and have to go to the hospital. Because really, the doctors will be so worried about your holey underwear as they’re trying to safe your life.

Taking a mental picture of what I have tucked away and hidden around my place I wouldn’t be embarrassed if someone had to pack up all my belongings. Would your mom discover your handcuff, whips and chain collection?

Tales of the Diego

I just spent the weekend hanging out with my boy O in San Diego and had a great time. Last year some of us went out there to visit him and the city he moved back to, after several years on the east coast. We had such an amazing time hanging out with him and visiting his city that I decided to go back out there again. Since O is one of my best friends I would probably visit him if he lived in Oklahoma but it does help that he’s from one of the most beautiful cities in the country.

I got there around 5:30 on Friday evening and after dropping off my suitcase and hanging around a bit we went to dinner at the Ethiopian restaurant he took the boys to last month. Delicious. Saturday Goldie (also known as the Hostesses’ line sister), O, and I went down to a small sea side town an hour away from the U.S. Mexican border called Puerto Nuevo for lobster, ceviche, and beer. Last year we went to Tijuana which wasn’t exactly a glowing reference to Mexico so I was excited to see something slightly different. Between the time that we crossed the border into Mexico and back to the U.S. I must have used the word “Federales” at every opportunity. I think I drove O and Goldie slightly mad but I couldn’t help myself. Try saying it with a Spanish accent and you’ll see what I mean.

After Goldie and Ramon the suppa hustler negotiated a deal for lobster, sides, beer and a tequila shot we got our grub on the roof top deck. The weather wasn’t as hot as I would have liked but it was beautiful and the sun was shinning which was a nice change from my last trip during their monsoon. After lunch Ramon found a spot where we could catch the Redskins game on a big *ss flat screen TV; it was kind of funny actually watching the game on ESPN Espagnol. After drinking some Cuban coffee, I insisted we walk down to the beach while Goldie and O rolled their eyes and bitched and moaned about having to go down some hill. Hehe! If we hadn’t gone we would have missed this freak of nature. Poor puppy he probably has the mange or something horrific but he looked happy. After getting back to the car we made our way back to the U.S as I recounted my amazement of seeing so many dudes with prison tats on their necks and the number of Federales around. While we waited 2 1/2 hours to cross back to U.S. Nelly ‘em played on the radio fifty eleven times. They LOVE their grills out there in the Diego. I also had the pleasure of hearing the essaie (sp?) version of the Laffy Taffy..Hilarious! Oh there’s a video of me doing the Laffy Taffy to some Mariachi music in Mexico but since I’m shy I’ll keep that one to myself.

After finally getting back to San Diego there was talk of possibly going out but alas we’re old and O and I ended up watching L&O and sharing a slim fast. Sunday we meet up with Goldie for a fabulous brunch where I made up for my slim fast dinner. After chilling around San Diego we went to Goldie’s for her mom’s delicious Curry. Monday we went to the Zoo where I had to fight off some little kids as we all clamored to feed the goats and sheep at the Children’s petting zoo.

I left Tuesday around noon when the weather was in the mid 70’s and landed in a rainy and windy as hell D.C.

In the Diego

I'll have a real post when I get back to the east coast on Wend.

Back in the day..

When I was young, I’m not a kid anymore.

Yesterday after work I met some friends out for a drink while we waited for our fairly late dinner reservation time. Trying to get a gazillion people together for dinner during restaurant week is a bitch. I walked into the spot and immediately felt out of place. I felt old, tired and clearly out of place. Back in the day (give or take a year or so ago) I could walk into a spot where young, black, upwardly mobile folks hung out and would recognize at least half of the patrons by face. Now; not so much I have no idea who these people are and where they came from. My girl and I looked at each other and realized we were too old for that spot. Despite feeling a little out of place I had a great time people watching and doing the laffy taffy.

I guess I should go and finally pick up my 30 and over card.

Mood Swings

I’m not sure why but I’m in a funk this morning, I woke up, showered, fed the animals, made my usual Latte with skim milk to go and got in my ride. I turned on the radio and my jam kryptonite is playing…flip on the cd player and I’m jamming to my favorite Haitian group. Traffic is flowing then I’m stuck going 20 miles an hour for 15 minutes on GW parkway a little worried because I have a 9AM conference call and this delay will make me late but I switched out the first CD and now Mary is singing Be without you on repeat so I’m relaxed.

I get to the office turn on the computer and slam, bombarded with emails and a sense of dread, the weather outside is all cloudy, foggy and just uhhh! It’s amazing how weather can affect someone’s mode and how a bag of Crunchy Cheetos can help move the funk level over a notch towards the good side. Cheetos and San Pellegrino sparking water how my worlds collide. Those cheetos won’t help me with the six pack I want but sometimes a girls gotta do what she has to.

The weather sucks here but I just talked to my boy and the weather in San Diego will be in the mid 70’s all weekend while I’m out there. That helped move the funk meter over a notch as well.

The Crush

The After Party hostess wrote a comment inspiring post on what men and women value the most when looking for a mate. I used to joke around with my friends that I was looking for a guy with hard titties but when I meet a dude that’s the last thing I think about. What peeks my interest when I meet someone? Intelligence; not what schools he went to, but is he smart in a non cocky way. Although I admit that numerous degrees do impress me. Does he read; what kind of books/magazines/newspapers?

I have a crush on this guy who works on my project. A crush on his brain and personality more then anything because I don’t find him physically attractive but I’m sure if I let myself I’d get to that eventually. He’s such a nerd and reads the Economist for pleasure. That’s sexy. This dude doesn’t come off as arrogant or full of himself but as someone who is sure of who he is and where he’s going. Alas, he’s off limits. I seem to have crushes on men who are off limits which might be something I’ll need to analyze at another time.

Welcome

To my new blog. I decided to jump on the anonymous bandwagon and move on. I know some of you are a little disappointed that I didn't go off to blogsome but I'm too lazy now to figure out how to make it my own space. I have a Christmas tree to take down. I'll be back with a real post sometime this weekend.