01 August 2000

Back... and bored

I'm bored. And this is a dangerous thing.

Now that the bar is over (hooray!), I have no structure to my evenings. I have no classes to attend, I have no studying to do, I have nothing that screams out that I must go and do. And I'm bored. The last time I was bored, I put an extra hole or two in my body. This time around, it's my hair.

I have few complaints about my hair, it usually behaves itself, stays where it's supposed to. I could do without the cal'lick in the front - it's a pain in the ass to style around, but otherwise it's okay. When I'm not bored, that is. ;-) I've put up a poll, called Moose's Hair found at Mister Poll, a cool web site that allows you to set up independent polls to ask people about various issues. This particular poll is asking whether I should go blond. Yes, me, the original "I don't care for blonds, though I'd not kick one out of bed just because of his hair color" boy is contemplating bleaching his hair. Not quite sure why, I'm just bored with my hair. Which is, as I said, a dangerous thing.

Witness the change I went through last night when I went to my hair studio to get a cut. My normal guy is out of town (and has been for a two cuts now - a tad strange, if you ask me), so I've seen another gentleman who works there. The first time was good, he cut it a little differently (in the middle of The Hermitage, so I was a tad distracted at the time) after suggesting a couple of changes, so that was okay. So last night we're cutting it and I made the comment that I hated the way my hair curled (it has a natural wave to it), and just to cut it short and get rid of the curls. (Lesson number one: be careful what you say to your hairdresser.)

He suggested we straighten it with a relaxer. Now, I'm a nice Southern boy, and Southern boys don't do funky things with their hair. But I was bored, so I let him go nuts. There is now not a bit of wave, curl, kink or anything to my hair. It is straight as a board. I've never had straight hair, and it's a trip and a half. Styling this stuff is so much more work than with the curls (where I could run a touch of gel through my hair and be done with it). If you don't run gel through it, it stands up off the head like so many little spikes (looking like what many refer to as the "Spikey Dykey Doo"). It's fun, it's certainly different (*grin*), and it'll grow out eventually. :-) (The last part being the most important here!)

Boredom is dangerous.

...

My week off for the bar was a good one (well, except for the test itself). Got to see the mountains (Roanoke Virginia - why do they hold the bloody thing there in the middle of nowhere?), got to spend oodles of time with Doug (he's so cool!), got to see family, rode a roller coaster (first one since 88?), got to meet Doug's family. Good trip. Highlights include:

• the power going out twice during the afternoon essay section
• an insert in the Roanoke paper declaring this "The Year of Pleather"
• eating dinner at "the best Chinese take out restaurant in Lynchburg"
• sleeping in most mornings post-bar exam
• watching Doug actually get enough sleep (law school is such a drain on that!)
• reading the second Harry Potter book while at my parents' house
• Busch Gardens (haven't been there in years)
• good seafood with my parents and Doug
• meeting more of Doug's family (and actually getting along with them all)

Altogether a very good trip. Would I do anything differently? Yes, I'd get back to town a day sooner so I have a full day (and not just a single evening) to recover and get back into being "at home" before having to go to work. :-P Other than that, I have no complaints. The test is done with, I had a good, relaxing time with Doug and various members of both our families, and I'm back in town with few requirements on my time. Hooray!

I'm glad there was little planning about this vacation (past getting to Roanoke and taking the test). I've found that unstructured time at home, while not perhaps as productive as it could be, is just incredibly relaxing. Vegetation time.

...

I'd probably be less bored if I could do more things, but this week stinks for getting back to town. I fly out to my brother's graduation from college (in Alabama) this weekend, have another test for the bar next Friday, so have a prep course tomorrow evening. And I need to start job hunting in earnest. Not quite truly free yet, but working on it.

02 August 2000

Of Suits and Service

If you wear a suit, you get better service.

I wore mine this week, just for the hell of it (figured I'd look like a lawyer, now that I've taken the bar, and it always worries my co-workers that I'm out looking for further employment *grin*). Finally got the new one altered (needed to have the waist taken in), so I got to show it off. Looked damn good, too (hey, it's my diary, I can be narcissistic if I want!). But anyway, when I went to get my hair cut on Monday, I was wearing the suit, and decided to do some shopping. Needed some books and, um, other things. So I popped into Lambda Rising, the local gay bookstore, got a book for the bus, some sci-fi/fantasy thing I had been considering buying. Then I wandered down the street, tried calling friends for dinner, no one was home, so I decided to pop into the Leather Rack before I caught the bus home, just to see if they had any new toys to contemplate.

So I wander up the stairs, smiling for the video monitor they have to deter theft/harassment, and breezed back past the jackets and what not to the toy section. Now, this had several effects. It told the new guy behind the counter that I'd been there before (I have), that I knew what I was looking for (and I did, sort-of), and that I was going to go directly to what I wanted and not pass go. Saw one other customer at this time of day (7-ish? 8-ish? still daylight in any case), who left shortly after I did, prompting the salesman to give me his undivided attention. Which may or may not be a wanted thing in a leather/toy store.

This particular young man wasn't bad looking, and was very solicitous in his suggestions ("No, take a look at this gag, it's much more comfortable."). What was amusing was that he, as a good salesman, appraised my purchasing ability by the quality of my clothes, and directed me toward appropriately priced merchandise. Like many people he was taken aback (though, to his credit, given our location, only for a brief moment) when I started discussing replacement rings for my various piercings. I just don't look like someone with an extra hole in his penis, I suppose. He was himself visibly pierced, and thankfully knowledgeable about gauges, diameters, etc. Not real helpful about whether to go with barbells for running, but hey, he talked to me (and ignored someone else who came in and looked at T-shirts).

While the salesmen at the Leather Rack have always been helpful, never had I received quite this level of attention from one of their sales crew. I don't recall ever having seen someone come in the place in a suit, either. Plenty in their leather/levi outfits, or street dress, but a suit? Not sure if the salesman was more amused or shocked to see me in there so overdressed.

06 August 2000

Traveling with Child

My niece Anya is one of the most well-behaved three year olds I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. She came down to Alabama this past weekend with my brother for his college graduation. The three of us flew into Atlanta (he and she together from home, me from D.C.) and then drove down to Troy for the ceremony. Never did she really fuss, or cry, or throw a fit. Considering we drive several hours with her on two different days, that was quite a feat for a three year old.

Graduation was nice. Finally Rob's out of school and working. My brother the future lumber king (don't ask - he's working, and getting paid well, that's what counts). Alabama was very pretty (and humid). I can see why they're pushing golf courses down there. Plenty of land on which to build them, pretty weather, lots of sun. Not a bad place to be.

The dose of family was just about right, too. Saw the parentals Friday morning and afternoon, then they took off to drive back home. Rob and Anya and I stayed around until Saturday when we all flew back. AirTran wasn't bad, despite their (deserved) reputation. As the successor to their infamous predecessor, ValueJet, they handled themselves well. And a $25 upgrade to first class wasn't a bad deal, either. ;-)

But I'm babbling. Not one of my best entries. You see, I'm bored again. I have another test to take on Friday (thank heavens it'll be over at that point), I don't want to do it, it rained all day, I couldn't get out of the house, I'm tired from traveling, and just generally, well, bored. And that's depressing. *sigh* Ah well.

...

Later this evening...

Was remembering more details of the trip I wanted to relate. First was getting to the rental car place and having them tell me 23 year old brother that he had a choice of a Volvo, a Land Rover or a Suburban. We took the Volvo (station wagon, no less). Nice car, if I may say so.

There were absolutely no boys in Troy to flirt with. That part sucked, but I lived. I had tried to get on the Alabama channel on gay.com, but there was never anyone in there! Amazing that no one in the whole bloody state would be in the chat room. How depressing!

Found more hair gunk (I know, I'm obsessed!) at the Body Shop to play with. *grin* Gotta love the variety of junk they make to twist, curl, flatten and otherwise mangle your hair. After seeing plenty of bad dye jobs in 'Bama I've decided not to color this mop on my head. It'll stay its natural color for a bit longer at least, though I don't promise a thing on the styling. ;-)

07 August 2000

Water, water

The busses were taunting me this morning. Normally I get dropped off my normal bus about a 5 block walk from the stop to my office. Occasionally, if I'm lucky, another line is traveling down E street and can drop me quite literally right in front of my front door. Now, from long experience I know that if I miss the cross-bus, I just have to hoof it, so I don't count on catching the cross-bus. In other words, it's a pleasant surprise, but not a necessity. So this morning I saw a cross-bus and managed to just miss it in trying to get across the street and down to the stop. No big deal, I'll just walk, as usual - it doesn't kill me, I wasn't late, etc.

But I'm halfway down the next block, and another bus passes me (nowhere near a stop, too, I might add). Drats, another missed. Then another one. And then yet a third bus. Never do they run that closely in the morning. At least, not that I've ever noticed. Except, of course, when I miss the lead bus.

...

Trying to drink more water. I got so dehydrated during my hermitage. Keeping a water bottle on the desk, finding that it's easier to measure the bottles worth of water than the mug. And more compelling to drink, somehow. The bottle just screams, "Drink me!" a la Alice in Wonderland, so I did. All day long. What fun.

Meant I got plenty of exercise walking to the bathroom, too. LOL!

...

Went by my gym this afternoon (before the summer torrential downpour and hail hit, thankfully) and made sure the membership was still good. It's a payroll deduction, so of course it was (and they appreciated the extra funds with no usage, I'm sure). Will pop in tomorrow morning and get in a workout for the first time in, what, five months? How pathetic. At least I'll be getting back to it. Will need to talk to them about customizing a workout, but I suppose I need to decide what I want out of this first. An aid to my running, certainly. To look better than I do now, yes. But how? Bigger shoulders? Bigger arms? My legs are fine. My gut could use less fat. My chest certainly could use the help. Hmmm. Something to ruminate over dinner with J.T. tonight.

At least I'm getting more water, and my diet's back to a much more normal balance. Need to cut out sugar, am slowly reducing the caffeine again, going back to the low caffeine end of my love-hate cycle with that particular drug. No sodas (wretched things) means cutting out both of those, thankfully.

Going to run a 10k this fall, I've decided. Same hilly course that I ran back at the Lawyers Have Heart thingum. Not a bad course at all, though it certainly rolled a bit. My favorite comment from one particpant last year was, "I didn't know there were this many hills in D.C.!" You'd be surprised, folks. My normal trail is mildly hilly, with short hills beside Rock Creek. Good way to train, for a variety of conditions.

So back I go to improve the body again, now that the mind has had its turn for a while.

09 August 2000

Variations

Ran into a friend from high school on the Metro today. That's twice now I've run into people from home on Metro. How strange. I mean, how random is it that we'd be on the same car, going the same direction at the same time in a city this size?

Bizarre.

I seem to be suffering from something common among web diarists - random entries. I'll percolate along, thinking I'll get a lot out of a topic, it'll die, then I'm randomly shift to another topic. Makes some sort of sense (I suppose), but not terribly good writing. I do enjoy writing, I truly do, and when I have a good topic it's a joy to see the finished product and know that it is a well-written piece. Lately, though, they've been too disjointed to really be "good" to my mind. I need to knuckle down, get working, get focused (on many things) and do better than I have been the past two weeks.

To that end I've purchased a heart rate monitor (it should arrive in a little under a week, I hope) to better monitor my exercise. I looked up a firm or two on the web for job search stuff, and I picked up my running shoes from my brother's friend (hence the Metro ride on which I saw my friend from high school). Water consumption is up, food consumption is getting better, bringing things into line. How Type-A of me. ;-)

My friend Brian finally updated his diary. The good thing in that he's writing again. The bad thing in that he got dumped. *sigh* Sorry, Brian!

Have a dinner date with BB again tonight. I'm glad he wrote, I was getting discouraged. One begins to wonder if polyamory will work or not! I have a very stable relationship with Doug, and I've dated a couple of other men in the meanwhile, but none of the others have lasted past a certain point. Am going to the Chesapeake Polyamory Network member orientation this Sunday, so will get to meet more poly people. I'm hoping to get some support out of the group - it's not always easy going against the societal norms! Even within a minority community (perhaps moreso as a member of a minority community?). I do believe that this is possible (having more than one romantic relationship - not just more than one sexual relationship - sex is easy, romance is more difficult), but it's been a rocky road.

11 August 2000

Testing...

In two short hours I will be taking the last test required for my membership in the Virginia bar. Thank heavens! You can't imagine how tired I am of all of this. Work, work, work, no reward on it for months. Now that this segment is done the testing ends, but the job hunt begins. Always something, I suppose.

...

So, knowing I had a test today, did I study? Of course I did! :-p Did you think I wouldn't? But I also went out after doing laundry and working through the last bit of review material. Had an invitation to join a gentleman for a glass of wine, so I took him up on it. That was much more relaxing that anything I could have done at home, sitting and stressing over this test.

I find that I need that relaxation, the company of others to help myself calm down, relax, and generally get into a good way for a test. Not that last night was nothing but talk, but hey. ;-) Lawrence is a neat fellow, someone with dating potential (I've been lucky lately, I've met interesting men with brains!). We'll see where it goes, but it seems to have potential. :-)

The one regret I had was, since I was not expecting to stay out, Doug got a tad worried about where I was (as did G, actually). Felt terrible that I had stressed him at all over where I was. Promised him that if he feels the need for reassurance that he should call the cell phone and leave a message and that I would call him back. An easy promise to make, an easy promise to keep. I love him too much to fuck up that relationship, even as I add others to my life. He's my core, my stability, (my lust! *grin*), my love.

I'm lucky these men care for me and keep up with me.

12 August 2000

Irritation

I have two rules in life:

1. Life is inherently ridiculous.
2. People are stupid.

This entry is all about rule number two.

I used to enjoy driving. It's not a bad activity in and of itself, but it is exceedingly frustrating endeavor when one's fellow drivers refuse to act with a common need to get down the road. Instead the zip ahead, they brake too suddenly, they don't move in a steady, if slow, pace. This is made the more frustrating by the fact that when I do drive, I much prefer to use a stick shift. Creeping along while trying to balance movement and the clutch is annoying at best.

Make all the cars stick shifts - then maybe people would have to do more than just aim and drive. How novel, that driving might require some modicum of skill!

This came up because I drove Doug and I to Ikea at Potomac Mills (outlet mall) on Saturday. Traffic was a nightmare on the return drive - and people can't seem to drive on the highway when it gets even mildly crowded!!! And to top it off they didn't even have the rug I wanted once we got there. Grrrr!

And the crowds! You'd think people had nothing better to do than to go out and spend money! Now, to be fair, it is back to school sale time, and many of the people out were shopping with/for their kids, but c'mon. It was so crowded. We ended up zipping out one of the side entrances and cutting across the parking lot to get back to the car 'cause I just couldn't take the crowds any more. Blah. Catalogs for me in the future, thankyouverymuch.

At least when it comes to carpets at Ikea. :-)

13 August 2000

Sore/Poly

No, the two parts of the title are not related. *grin*

I am so sore this afternoon. Feels almost like a flu. Everything just aches. After the sore throat I had the past couple of days, then when I went running (with the new toy - a heart rate monitor), after the shower I discovered I just ache. Tylenol and/or ibuprofen has helped, as did a nap at Doug's, but I had to tell Doug I needed to sleep alone. Didn't want to sleep alone, but needed to due to this mess my body is making of me.

*sigh*

We're headed to a potluck tonight for the Chesapeake Polyamory Network. I don't want to get my hopes up, but I'm hoping it's a good experience. I have been longing for a support network of polyamourists, and this may be it. But it might not be, either. We shall see. More will be written on it later, I know.

The good news is I made banana pudding for dessert, so at least I know I'll get some good dessert out of the experience. ;-)

...

Meeting successfully attended. I/We will be attending again. There was a positive energy in the room as the discussion got more involved, and that was a very neat experience. A couple of notes about it: fewer desserts, more main dishes (though my banana pudding was much appreciated *grin*); more people need to bring more food (I can't wait to do a main dish - there'll be tons of it!); I felt like I was the youngest person there (I probably was); and as I said, the group had a very good dynamic, which got better as the evening progressed.

Glad I went, and I look forward to future meetings.

...

Feeling a tad better now than I was earlier, but still semi-icky. Did end up begging off company for the night so I could sleep alone - I suspect it'll be a restless night, even with something to help me sleep (be that melatonin or cold meds - I've not decided yet, though I will shortly as it's already 10 p.m.). Need to get myself off of here, upload these entries and hit the sack. I think I'm going to do running tomorrow morning with the heart monitor set correctly (and tighter! it kept feeling like it would slide off once I got sweaty!), so I need my sleep. Time to rest, now that everything is over.

15 August 2000

Love/Hate

Despite my cold, I run.

I feel the need to run, to move, to get out of the house this morning. So I throw on my shoes and assorted running gear and head out the door. I walk down the park, stretch, push the start on my stopwatch and off I go.

I begin slowly, warming myself up after my three to four week break from running. I watch the sunlight filter through the trees, illuminating the mist from last night's rain, and the drops of water as they gently fall from the leaves above. The cars along the parkway aren't even a factor, except as they move the mist in the sunlight above them.

I run, moving along faster, enjoying the sensation of movement. I really get going, opening up, feeling the movement as I start to go even faster. My face grows flush with excitement as I feel my body responding to the urge to move ever faster down the trail...

...and then the silence is shattered by the insipid beeping of my heart rate monitor, telling me I'm going too fast.

16 August 2000

Questions

Do I stay or do I go? That's what I have to ask myself about my job now. I've pretty much decided to leave, so what then? Private or public? Private will mean as much work (maybe more), but more monetary reward (not necessarily psychic reward - depends on the firm/job/etc.). Which area of the law then? Stick with my Asian Studies, despite my declining Chinese skills (though I found courses I can take inexpensively here in town to brush up)? Go into a new area? Tax? Finance? Go with the money orientation I've had the past two years in my internship? Do I apply as a new associate, since I just took the bar, or as a lateral (easy one - lateral, given I'm two years out of law school and that I'd rather they not focus so much on my grades and more on my current writing)? Do I look only at big firms if I go private? Medium sized? How conservative or progressive? Do I look at consulting firms as well? Will they offer me the mentorship in the law that I would prefer to have? What kind of training will any of them offer me? What kind of life will I have outside of work? Will I have time to go out and have a life at all? Will I continue exercising (yes!)? Will I be able to keep increasing my training and do the things I want to do (triathlons, eventually)?

Will I be happy in my choices?

24 August 2000

Lessons

Lessons learned from this past week:

1. To quote Sapphire, the Uppity Blues Women, "Fess up when you mess up." It'll make your life easier in the long run.
2. To quote the Witch from Into the Woods: "Sometimes the things you most wish for are not to be touched."
3. Alcohol is best enjoyed in moderation.
4. Walking home sober is a heck of a lot nicer than being driven home drunk.
5. Despite the above, sometimes it's necessary to get shitfaced and let it all out. See, alcohol can be good for something.
6. Sometimes it's good to do the above with those whom you love, and who love you.
7. Yes, the busses do still run at quarter til two in the morning.
8. Sometimes you've got to get out and dance.
9. Don't flirt with boys on the dance floor if you don't want to take them home - they may be more persistent that you wish them to be.
10. Boredom at work is a powerful motivation.
11. Those who love you, if they truly love you, will continue to love you, even when you fuck up royally.
12. Not spending nights at home makes it hard to get diary entries uploaded. ;-)
13. Spending time reassuring those whom you love that you do indeed love them is a precious and wonderful thing. Don't pass up opportunities to do it.
14. Don't forget to make time for friends. You need them, and they need you. And they feel neglected, as well they should, if you don't make some time.
15. A clean kitchen is a good thing. Creepy crawly bugs in the kitchen is a bad thing. Rectify the situation as soon as possible.
16. Regular exercise is a marvelous thing, despite the occasional soreness.
17. I miss Penticton, British Columbia, Canada, and the people participating in Ironman Canada. I will run that race one day, just watch me!
18. Writing diary entries at two in the morning is not a bad thing, if it allows you to upload what you need to get up.

25 August 2000

Of Tricks And Threeways

I finally get an opportunity to take a man home from a bar and I didn't. How odd.

To fill you in, this has been a point of some wonderment in my life (for me at least). Now, I've taken men home before but they've always been someone I knew already, or someone one of my friends knew, or someone who was a friend of a friend, etc. There's always been some pre-bar connection to this person. Not so last night. Total stranger. Made eye contact, we danced together for a bit, he was a tad more aggressive than I, not bad, but I just decided I didn't want to take him home.

That then, of course, necessitated ditching him on the dance floor (not something I've had to do before, either - I've been ditched, but never done the ditching). How awkward! Thankfully I had the cover of several friends from Gallaudet with whom I was attempting, in my woefully inadequate sign language, to converse. One of them whisked me off the dance floor after I explained to him what was up (thank heavens for sign language some days *grin*), and saved me from further discomfort.

I am a self-described slut at times, but not all the time. Last night was one of those times. As I kept having to point out to friends when I would say I knew someone (and they would then ask me if I'd slept with the person), "I don't sleep with everyone I meet, after all!" I so have limits, and tastes, and while I do like a wider variety than most (it seems), not everyone fits into those categories.

Though it's not like there's anything wrong with sex for sex' sake.

...

How prophetic those words were when I wrote them earlier this afternoon. It's now, well, it's almost two a.m. again (so I suppose technically this is the 26th, but you'll have to forgive me for filing it under the 25th), and I just got home from a gay.com inspired threeway.

It was an interesting experience, as most threeways are, and it was a good experience, which is not necessarily the case with such things. I do feel the need to expound upon one of the rules of etiquette involved in such an undertaking, though, since without observing a couple of basic rules of behavior one can ruin an otherwise quite marvelous time. The number one rule is that you must make sure you pay attention to both of the people there, even if you're only into one of them. It may be rather obvious that two of you have hit it off and that the third has not, but that doesn't excuse you from paying any attention to the third. After all, you agreed to a threeway in the first place, not a normal dyad, so behave yourself and make sure you spread your attentions. It doesn't necessarily have to be equal amounts of attention, but you can't ignore the third.

Also, and this is the case whenever you have a trick over, if you offer a ride to entice them over, you'd better be willing to provide one, especially if the trick has to cab over to you. You said you'd do it, so follow through. I don't care how tired you are from the sex you just had, be a good boy and do your duty (and no, this did not happen to me, but it did happen to a friend recently - I just felt the need to expound on trick etiquette as well).

And while you're at it, make sure you have breakfast on hand, even if it's just poptarts. And trick towels to clean up afterwards. And condoms. Be prepared, boys, be prepared!

27 August 2000

Week

What a week. Emotional highs and lows. Lots of sex (much more than normal, at least!). Good week at work. Off this next week at a conference in South Carolina to present on budget and legal issues. Spoiled rotten this evening by Lawrence. Good times reconnecting with Doug, despite the emotional mess I put him through (I'm sorry!!!).

Not a bad week overall.

I head out tomorrow and the usual mess of packing and getting ready to be gone for a week have occupied my day today. Laundry, bills, email, setting the listmail so I don't overload my accounts for the week (no email for a week - how will I survive?!?!?!). The minutiae is so much fun. I set some "shortcuts" on my pilot so I can write entries while I'm in S.C. - little HTML tags that will make all the difference in the world when it comes to converting the text files to actual entries here. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Fits my personality, according to Doug's book on personality types. ESFJ am I (and the book was quite funny in saying that an "SJ" was probably the one who founded the Boy Scouts and made up the "Be Prepared" motto for them - fitting for this Eagle Scout).

Anyway. Almost out of here. Good run this afternoon - 50 minutes! Furthest I've run so far. I've a feeling there'll be no run tomorrow to save my knees for the working my coworker is going to give me running down in S.C. - she's much more serious (where I want to be!), running her second marathon this fall, so she's doing some serious training runs down there. I'll try to stay up with her - we'll see how it goes. :)

Have a good week, gentle readers, and look for more entries when I return on Friday.

31 August 2000

Columbia in Snippets

00/8/28 2:47 p.m.

As I sit here at National Airport (I refuse to refer to it by that ass' name) there is an absolutely gorgeous man sitting to my left, playing with a cell phone. In a white shirt with a few holes in it (an old undershirt?), Chaps jeans (ripped at the edges as well) & Nike shoes, and his Structure underwear showing just above his belt (such a vision of corporate advertising), he has the indolent air of someone who is beautiful and knows it. He appears to be here with an older gentleman (his father? or maybe his "daddy"? he's got enough jewelry on to be queer) who hovers protectively around him, refusing to sit, pacing instead with nervous energy.

I'm bored, having arrived at the airport much, much too early. I could've stayed at home another half an hour and found out more about the clubs in Columbia. I had such wretched luck trying to get any information out of the gay.com S.C. channel last week, so of course the boys were talkative today, half an hour before I had to leave. Figures. :-)

No matter. It's not like I'm planning on going out all week - I just want the chance to go out on Thursday either to talk (hook up?), drink, or dance (or all four? *grin*). Ah well. Almost time to board, so time to put this away and get ready to fly.

00/8/28 6:15 p.m.

I am firmly in the bible belt. Where else would you find ads for the "visual bible" on billboards ("You've read the book, now see the movie!"). Oy vey.

Now that I'm finally here I find myself having a strange craving for "low-country" style barbecue. How odd. I mean, I have no ethical qualms about eating meat, though I seldom cook it. I just find it odd to feel a craving for it. Hmm...

00/8/29 9:23 am

I am so beat. BG got me up at 5:00 this morning to run. Good course, a full 5.5 miles, so it took us a good hour to run. I dread the 10k in October if this is the pace at which I'll be running. But now I am trying to fall asleep sitting here listening to the speakers drone on about their accomplishments the past year.

The run was good, another record on distance/time. Dinner was good, one of the staff dared me to order the corn dog (obviously a real upscale place, eh? *grin*). It was good. :-) I need to cut back on the drinks with cola - the caffeine keeps knocking my sleep patterns for a loop. I think that's why I'm fading here. Well, that and the run and the new bed and what not.

00/8/30 1:31 p.m.

I love southern cuisine, but it hates me. Butter, butter everywhere! Gotta love lactose intolerance. Not!!!

The food here has been fabulous, if a tad too fatty. Swordfish, blackened, over grits. Yum!!! Wonderful stuff.

...

Being around so many law enforcement types has been a strange experience. On the one hand, I am here to help support and inform them. On the other hand, I have philosophical problems with some of the thrusts of their efforts. For example, the DEA is currently targeting ecstasy in a major way. The practical effect of this has been to pretty much double the cost on the street. This has then had the further effect of driving more kids to G (GHB), which is cheaper now than the ecstasy they used to use. Not perhaps that big a deal, but G is, in the short term, less safe than ecstasy; combining G with alcohol or other drugs can lead to seizures and/or death. The DEA's response, I'm sure, would be that these folks should not be taking these drugs at all, but that is a foolish and naive view. It's not like people will stop hunting out intoxicants; prohibition didn't work the first time we as a nation tried it and it won't work now. It's a waste of money, and a diversion of funds that could be better spent elsewhere.