Let's see...

Let me try to assemble a recap of the past few days.

I worked at home all this week. This didn't make me that moody; I managed to get out of the apartment on various errands and amusements, plus a clean apartment isn't as dreary, I suppose.

The boss wanted to meet me in DC on Friday, but I had already cleared the day with him so I could accompany Kirk to Mercy Hospital for a colonoscopy. When I told my boss that Kirk needed help getting home because he was going to be anestisized, he immediately replied that if you were going to get a nest, it was important that it fit correctly. I wonder why I still work with this nut.

I went to C2 class with Barry H. on Wednesday. C2 isn't really that hard, so far. I'm just struggling with the usual brain lag while I try to recognize new calls before I execute them. Swap the wave is particularly nettlesome, because I have to know whether I'm in a right-hand wave or not almost immediately. I'm trying to learn to be aware of the handedness of the formation all the time.

There was a week where I felt incredibly centered for almost the entire evening. I felt like I was on top of everything, smoothly executing the calls. It wasn't that I never made a mistake, but they didn't break into my concentration. It was very nice. I'm familiar with that mood when dancing other levels, even C1, but to find it at C2 was a pleasant surprise.

I had scheduled a dinner date with Gene R. on Thursday, but he called to reschedule. He had forgotten that he had a very important presentation to make that evening, which is amusing because he had been working on it almost non-stop for the previous two weeks!

Instead, I went to the Charles Theatre to watch Steamboy, which was just okay. The animation and design was pretty good, but I thought the story was formulaic and boring. The best part of the movie was the chase scene early on. After the movie, I met up with Russell and we had dinner at the Mt. Vernon Stable together.

Friday evening was my dinner with Gene. He stopped by my place and we sat down to talk for a little bit. I stretched out on the couch, slipping my foot into his lap, just enjoying the feeling of being close to him, but not too close, because he's fighting a cold. That was frustrating! No kisses!

We went to dinner at Loco Hombre, where we both had the steak burrito. Gene convinced me to go to the Men's Gathering at Four Quarters Farm in Artemas, Pennsylvania. Doug M. and Bob R. also attend, so I'll have some friends there and I expect to make a lot more. Now I just need to beg, borrow or steal some camping gear! If anybody reading this has camping gear I can borrow, please drop me a line!

Yesterday I took the train into DC to hike around the Tidal Basin and enjoy the cherry blossoms. An incredible number of people decided to do the same thing, but everybody was having a good time, so it wasn't one of those frustrating crowds. I looped all the way around, stopping in a the Jefferson Memorial (also a first), before stopping by the Japanese festival for a snack and taking the Metro back to Union Station. I was back in Baltimore by 7 p.m.

I had bumped into Paul at the Baltimore train station Friday morning as I was leaving, and made arrangements to get together with him that evening. He told me that he'd be joining some of our friends for dinner around 7, but when I arrived at the restaurant about 7:10, they had already been seated with no room for me. This wasn't really a big deal, as I was tuckered out from my hike and just wanted a shower and a nap.

After dinner, Paul came by my place with some Greek Pasta for me. We talked while I ate, then we shared some ice cream and fooled around before he had to head out to catch a bus back to the place he was staying. He was in town all week for an education conference, but I didn't know because he lost my contact information and the guys he had pass messages to me were using an email address I hardly check. :-\

Ahhh!

I hid my head this morning when my phone rang, clinging to sleep. In fact, the wired phone rang twice and the cell phone rang once. I figured that anybody calling my cell phone would leave a message, and went back to sleep.

Later, my cell phone rang again, and this time I dragged myself out of bed to answer it. It was Kirk, wondering when I would come take a look at his computer. It's a brand new machine, and he managed to knock over the monitor. Now it doesn't work and I arranged with him to try to diagnose it this morning. I assured him that I'd take a shower and head on up.

The monitor wasn't getting a signal from the computer. The connections were secure, so the only thing I could think of was to pop open the computer to see if perhaps the video card had been unseated, but no dice. I told him that he could try replacing the monitor cable, but the monitor port may have been broken in either the computer or the monitor itself. (It seems that the monitor gave the cable a good yank when it fell off.)

After leaving Kirk, I did a little grocery shopping, made some chili (not that great, really) and had a relaxing lunch, remembering to clean up after myself. Louie came to pick me up and we went to bowling. Our team only won one game today, so we're still in last place, which is surprising because we were in third during the first half of the season.

Five of us stopped for dinner at the Double T in Perry Hall near the bowling alley for dinner afterwards. I don't know why we haven't done this before — we had a fabulous time! Then Louie and I drove back to my apartment for a small scoop of vanilla ice cream dripping with butterscotch sauce. Mmm! I even got a couple of swats on my ass before he left!

I turned on the TV for a couple of hours of Charmed. This is really a guilty pleasure for me -- totally meaningless television with no scrap of redeeming value, but I like it. Show me magic, demons and witches and I'm happy. I usually don't watch it at all, but they were showing the 150th episode tonight, with the return of Cole, Phoebe's demonic lover. I noticed the commercial on the television at the bowling alley.

I think I might try going over to the Rite-Aid to see if I can get some digital photos printed. Oh, and I see my doctor tomorrow morning for another blood draw. This one is to see if I'm really developing anemia. If I am, then I'll probably have to start a different drug regimen. I am so not looking forward to making that change.

Sniff!

I borrowed a shirt from Doug M. I was visiting him in Arlington; he was wearing the shirt and I complimented him on it as we were getting undressed for bed. It was a shirt that he had picked up at a thrift store &mdash mostly orange, but with a vertical striped pattern that looked a lot like the threads they're selling at places like Banana Republic.

He encouraged me to try it on. It generally fit, he told me I should borrow it, so I did. I was planning on getting it washed and wearing it to the first Rockville game day. I did get it washed and dried, however, I left it draped over a chair in the laundromat after I finished up my laundry and walked out. I had to tell him that I lost his shirt when he was visiting me here in Baltimore. :-(

Now I'm sorry that I washed it, but for two reasons. First, because I lost it. The second reason is that I really enjoyed holding it to my nose and inhaling his scent. I have never found myself sniffing someone else's dirty laundry before. He smells real nice!

Phooey!

I purchased some index cards about a week ago so I could make some flash cards for my C2 calls. I can't find them anywhere since Russell and I cleaned the apartment. I'm sure they're stored someplace very reasonable, but I can't figure out where that is for the life of me.

On the plus side (not a pun, for you square dancers out there, honest!), I did find my Cedar Chest of C1 and C2 Square Dance Definitions. I've been studying the C2 definitions that I downloaded from the Callerlab web site, whenever I've been so inclined, which ain't often. The flash cards were meant to encourage some good study habits. :-P

We don't have class this week anyway.

Mmmm! Chocolate!

One of my favorite things in the world is a cup of hot chocolate. Steamy chocolate goodness! I don't know how we got on the subject, but Barry H. recommended hot chocolate made with Ghiradelli's sweet ground chocolate and cocoa. I think he said that he got it from Trader Joe's, so I asked if he would pick some up for me the next time he was shopping there. A week or so later, he handed the canister to me as a gift.

That was last year. I have no idea when, but I think it was November or December. I just opened the canister tonight. It's wonderful! Mmmmmm! Just the thing to wash down my Combivir! :-)

I managed to deny myself this pleasure for months. I simply put it on the pantry shelf and forgot all about it. Bleah.