Sunday, January 25, 2004
So There I Am, Talking To Truman Capote...
Well, thanks to Christina (and her birthday), I can actually say I went to a London Club. Now, this wasn't exactly a Glitterati hangout, but I had a fine time. Friday night was her birthday. We started out eating Indian in Carnaby, and now I can say I've actually seen Carnaby Street. I had the Thali with Chicken Konkan - a papadum, mushrooms and corn, potatos and peppers, a bean thing, chutney, mint sauce... While the Konkan had two chilis next to it on the menu, it wasn't especially hot. It was quite good, but milder than I expected. I really thought that Indian food in London would be spicier than in Connecticut. My bad?
After dinner we headed over to the Colombian Society's big party down on the Thames at Temple. It was raining pretty steadily, so we hopped on a bus on Regent, and took it to Aldwych, then walked to the water. While there were a total of about 15 for dinner (they split us into two groups), we were down to 7. The walk was a little more exciting than we expected when Michelle decided to jump over the curbside puddle. In front of the oncoming taxi. She heard us screaming at the last second, and the cabbie avoided her. Whew.
We got to the boat, and there was a sign that said the party was sold out. But this wasn't a problem since I had bought my ticket the day before (the Treasurer is Gonsalo from my floor). So we were all set. Oh, wait. Not everyone bought a ticket? Okay, who bought tickets? I mean besides me. Anyone? How can it be that I was the only one who actually came prepared? Something's terribly wrong here. Anyway, we decided to go across the street to the "Walkabout" since it was wet and we weren't getting in until about 25 people left (24?). I sold my ticket to someone waiting and we crossed the street with little or no incident.
I could explain 1) how old I've gotten, or 2) how strange these kids are today, or 3) that I seem to have forgotten how to have fun, but that's boring. I had a great time - though I didn't exactly go wild. The wall of sound was unbelievable. I haven't heard anything that loud since I went to see Speedwagon from the fifteenth row in 1981! Something with an exagerrated bass line could (literally) take your breath away. So we moved closer to the speakers. Truth be told that was where there was available floor space. It was also a bit of a dead end, so others tended to avoid it. Nice trailblazing work by Christina.
As I was saying, this place was packed. We were actually up on a platform about three steps up, so I could see all the way to the far wall. Solid people. A writhing, pulsating clot of humanity. There are obviously no serious fire laws in this city. Which in this case was probably a good thing. The atmosphere fed on itself. One of the highlights of the night came quite quickly. I'm standing, trying to talk to Jonathan. I've got my elbows out, because I'm already fed up with people who think the world is their mosh pit, when out of the corner of my eye I see someone slip by under my arm. I said, "under."
There's no PC way to say it. It's going to sound either cruel or condescending, or just stupid. A dwarf bounded up the stairs and started banging into his buddies. It was such an astonishing sight in all this, that all I could say was, "Now my night is complete." Hell, he was having a good time. I should too. So I started to loosen up. We all know that's a relative term.
I actually knew a few of the tunes they played. Most of those were older than my compatriots, but that's my problem, not theirs. At least I knew the words to something. The DJ was pretty good. He played good sets of slightly different genres. Some rock, some pop, some rap, some techno (techno?!). I can't say I've spent much time listening to techno - does anyone? - but it's pretty interesting in an architectural sort of way, and it's got a rhythm that you either go along to, or it'll drive you into the ground. And then there's something to be said about spending time in a club packed to the walls with four attractive women in their twenties (and John and Jonathan). And if people don't know that I'm only there just because I'm fortunate enough to be Christina's classmate, its not my job to correct them.
The women were going up to the DJ to get him to play songs for Christina's birthday any number of times. After a couple of hours of this, he looked our way, and saw Laura waving (a young attractive blonde - like he'd miss her?), trying to get him to play something she'd requested. Well, this guy is an Aussie in dreadlocks at least my age. He's smiling away, waving back, and then he sees me standing between her and Michelle (who's got her own Lucy Liu thing going). His eyes went as big as saucers. He honestly took a step back and put his hand to his chest. He starts pointing at me, smiling, then he cocks his hand like a gun, and proceeds to shoot at me four or five times. I just smiled. Like I said, it's not my job! Okay, NOW my night was complete.
All in all, a darned good night. A good meal, some fun antics, a new experience, and for a few fleeting minutes I impressed some guy who spends his entire working life talking to attractive young women. I'll take it. Whose birthday is next?
I'm still a big stiff
But even I know good times
Thank you Christina
|
After dinner we headed over to the Colombian Society's big party down on the Thames at Temple. It was raining pretty steadily, so we hopped on a bus on Regent, and took it to Aldwych, then walked to the water. While there were a total of about 15 for dinner (they split us into two groups), we were down to 7. The walk was a little more exciting than we expected when Michelle decided to jump over the curbside puddle. In front of the oncoming taxi. She heard us screaming at the last second, and the cabbie avoided her. Whew.
We got to the boat, and there was a sign that said the party was sold out. But this wasn't a problem since I had bought my ticket the day before (the Treasurer is Gonsalo from my floor). So we were all set. Oh, wait. Not everyone bought a ticket? Okay, who bought tickets? I mean besides me. Anyone? How can it be that I was the only one who actually came prepared? Something's terribly wrong here. Anyway, we decided to go across the street to the "Walkabout" since it was wet and we weren't getting in until about 25 people left (24?). I sold my ticket to someone waiting and we crossed the street with little or no incident.
I could explain 1) how old I've gotten, or 2) how strange these kids are today, or 3) that I seem to have forgotten how to have fun, but that's boring. I had a great time - though I didn't exactly go wild. The wall of sound was unbelievable. I haven't heard anything that loud since I went to see Speedwagon from the fifteenth row in 1981! Something with an exagerrated bass line could (literally) take your breath away. So we moved closer to the speakers. Truth be told that was where there was available floor space. It was also a bit of a dead end, so others tended to avoid it. Nice trailblazing work by Christina.
As I was saying, this place was packed. We were actually up on a platform about three steps up, so I could see all the way to the far wall. Solid people. A writhing, pulsating clot of humanity. There are obviously no serious fire laws in this city. Which in this case was probably a good thing. The atmosphere fed on itself. One of the highlights of the night came quite quickly. I'm standing, trying to talk to Jonathan. I've got my elbows out, because I'm already fed up with people who think the world is their mosh pit, when out of the corner of my eye I see someone slip by under my arm. I said, "under."
There's no PC way to say it. It's going to sound either cruel or condescending, or just stupid. A dwarf bounded up the stairs and started banging into his buddies. It was such an astonishing sight in all this, that all I could say was, "Now my night is complete." Hell, he was having a good time. I should too. So I started to loosen up. We all know that's a relative term.
I actually knew a few of the tunes they played. Most of those were older than my compatriots, but that's my problem, not theirs. At least I knew the words to something. The DJ was pretty good. He played good sets of slightly different genres. Some rock, some pop, some rap, some techno (techno?!). I can't say I've spent much time listening to techno - does anyone? - but it's pretty interesting in an architectural sort of way, and it's got a rhythm that you either go along to, or it'll drive you into the ground. And then there's something to be said about spending time in a club packed to the walls with four attractive women in their twenties (and John and Jonathan). And if people don't know that I'm only there just because I'm fortunate enough to be Christina's classmate, its not my job to correct them.
The women were going up to the DJ to get him to play songs for Christina's birthday any number of times. After a couple of hours of this, he looked our way, and saw Laura waving (a young attractive blonde - like he'd miss her?), trying to get him to play something she'd requested. Well, this guy is an Aussie in dreadlocks at least my age. He's smiling away, waving back, and then he sees me standing between her and Michelle (who's got her own Lucy Liu thing going). His eyes went as big as saucers. He honestly took a step back and put his hand to his chest. He starts pointing at me, smiling, then he cocks his hand like a gun, and proceeds to shoot at me four or five times. I just smiled. Like I said, it's not my job! Okay, NOW my night was complete.
All in all, a darned good night. A good meal, some fun antics, a new experience, and for a few fleeting minutes I impressed some guy who spends his entire working life talking to attractive young women. I'll take it. Whose birthday is next?
I'm still a big stiff
But even I know good times
Thank you Christina
|
Monday, January 19, 2004
Free At Last! Free At Last!
I wrote that before I realized what day this is. I'm finally free of my projects from the break. I turned in my Stats today. Now I've got to start on my paper for Policy that's due in two weeks. And I meet with my OR Methodology debate team on Thursday. And I've got 30 pages to read for Wednesday. And a bunch for tomorrow which I still have to pick up in the morning. Thanks for all the help everybody. Especially Gib, David, Daisy, Christina, and John. And Nari, too, because he made it tougher for John to turn me down without feeling guilty.
And it was good to get back to classes. I knew I was back in the swing of things when I got to talk about Phillip of Macedon at the Battle of Chaeronea. It was a Strategy class. I impressed at least one person (myself) by talking about his use of technology as well as tactics to defeat the superior numbers of the Greeks. Superior spears, armored cavalry, better longbows, and the phalanx - which he learned in Thebes, by the way. Of course, suckering them to cross the river was no small feat, either.
So, what's new with you? I hope to get back to regular sleep patterns soon. Like, say, actually sleeping. On the other hand, staying indoors for 2 and 3 days at a stretch means you avoid the rainy weather. Yes, the stereotypical London Winter has arrived. Not a lot of sun, and usually at least a sprinkle a day. Once I got back and started in earnest on the projects, I decided to grow a "playoff" beard. No shaving until I was done. Well, I woke up on Friday, looked in the mirror, and saw a tired, middle-aged guy with matted hair sticking up all over the place, and a ratty beard with lots of white in the chin. Two words: Ted Kaczynski. I shaved. The only thing missing was the orange jump suit.
I've got two new goals for this term - besides finishing projects on time. First, more walking. To the Tesco, maybe to Elephant and Castle and learn some new buses to school, and even use the stairs. I had already started on that. Up and down five flights isn't as bad as it sounds. Well, it is, but it's not as bad as you expect. It's not any slower than using the elevator, and that's when you don't have to wait for it. However, it is a bit dizzying. The stairs wrap around the elevator shaft, so it's about four steps and turn, four more steps, and turn, four steps, turn... After three floors you can start bumping into the walls if you're not careful. I feel like a NASCAR driver at Bristol. And today I figured out the one part of the equation I left out. Now that classes are back in session, I've got a 20-pound pack on my shoulder. Next stop: Fort Dix.
The other goal is to just get out more. Especially after the last two weeks. I was hoping to go to the symphony(!) last Friday. They have great student prices. But.. there's another one in a couple weeks. Maybe they'll play Peter and The Wolf? There's a free bowling night in a week or so, and we're already scouting out a place to watch the Super Bowl®. I'm going to try and see one local thing a week. This week I'll try to check out what I think is the War Museum. I noticed a big dome south of St. George's Circus from the bus. It's the only thing in the area, so I'm guessing that's what it will be. It also gives me a chance to learn a little of Lambeth, which is a neighboring borough. And then there's the mysterious area to the West. It's almost off the map, and I've never taken the bus past Great Dover Street. I think it just curves up and goes to Tower Bridge, but I should check it out.
Well, I'm whipped. The voice is shot, which is the ultimate measure of just how tired I am. So I'm going to try to catch up on some of the lost sleep, but I'm not sure I have enough time in the term to do that. There were as many, or more nights that I didn't sleep as I did. I tried to supplement with a few catnaps, but never seemed to get more than 4 hours straight. Twice.
Special today: four for the price of one.
crash, conk out, dozing
comatose, catnap, drop off
catch some zzz's, dreamland
sack out, sack time, flag
siesta, snooze, forty winks
saw wood, shuteye, flop
bed down, black out, nap
fall asleep, few zzz's, nod off
dormant, drowsy, rest
somnolence, slumber
hibernate, hebetude, swoon
torpor, sandman, sleep
|
And it was good to get back to classes. I knew I was back in the swing of things when I got to talk about Phillip of Macedon at the Battle of Chaeronea. It was a Strategy class. I impressed at least one person (myself) by talking about his use of technology as well as tactics to defeat the superior numbers of the Greeks. Superior spears, armored cavalry, better longbows, and the phalanx - which he learned in Thebes, by the way. Of course, suckering them to cross the river was no small feat, either.
So, what's new with you? I hope to get back to regular sleep patterns soon. Like, say, actually sleeping. On the other hand, staying indoors for 2 and 3 days at a stretch means you avoid the rainy weather. Yes, the stereotypical London Winter has arrived. Not a lot of sun, and usually at least a sprinkle a day. Once I got back and started in earnest on the projects, I decided to grow a "playoff" beard. No shaving until I was done. Well, I woke up on Friday, looked in the mirror, and saw a tired, middle-aged guy with matted hair sticking up all over the place, and a ratty beard with lots of white in the chin. Two words: Ted Kaczynski. I shaved. The only thing missing was the orange jump suit.
I've got two new goals for this term - besides finishing projects on time. First, more walking. To the Tesco, maybe to Elephant and Castle and learn some new buses to school, and even use the stairs. I had already started on that. Up and down five flights isn't as bad as it sounds. Well, it is, but it's not as bad as you expect. It's not any slower than using the elevator, and that's when you don't have to wait for it. However, it is a bit dizzying. The stairs wrap around the elevator shaft, so it's about four steps and turn, four more steps, and turn, four steps, turn... After three floors you can start bumping into the walls if you're not careful. I feel like a NASCAR driver at Bristol. And today I figured out the one part of the equation I left out. Now that classes are back in session, I've got a 20-pound pack on my shoulder. Next stop: Fort Dix.
The other goal is to just get out more. Especially after the last two weeks. I was hoping to go to the symphony(!) last Friday. They have great student prices. But.. there's another one in a couple weeks. Maybe they'll play Peter and The Wolf? There's a free bowling night in a week or so, and we're already scouting out a place to watch the Super Bowl®. I'm going to try and see one local thing a week. This week I'll try to check out what I think is the War Museum. I noticed a big dome south of St. George's Circus from the bus. It's the only thing in the area, so I'm guessing that's what it will be. It also gives me a chance to learn a little of Lambeth, which is a neighboring borough. And then there's the mysterious area to the West. It's almost off the map, and I've never taken the bus past Great Dover Street. I think it just curves up and goes to Tower Bridge, but I should check it out.
Well, I'm whipped. The voice is shot, which is the ultimate measure of just how tired I am. So I'm going to try to catch up on some of the lost sleep, but I'm not sure I have enough time in the term to do that. There were as many, or more nights that I didn't sleep as I did. I tried to supplement with a few catnaps, but never seemed to get more than 4 hours straight. Twice.
Special today: four for the price of one.
crash, conk out, dozing
comatose, catnap, drop off
catch some zzz's, dreamland
sack out, sack time, flag
siesta, snooze, forty winks
saw wood, shuteye, flop
bed down, black out, nap
fall asleep, few zzz's, nod off
dormant, drowsy, rest
somnolence, slumber
hibernate, hebetude, swoon
torpor, sandman, sleep
|
Monday, January 05, 2004
2M4
The library reopens today, so that's where I'll be. I wasn't able to do anything with Mathemetical Programming, because it kept telling me that the file wasn't compatible with the student version. Or maybe I'm just not compatible with it. No matter. It works on the school version. So I've got four days to finish. Then four more days to finish the other two. I'd feel more confident if SIMUL8 did what I'm told it's supposed to do. And I'd feel more confident about the Stats if I didn't have to spend time fixing SIMUL8 - and the data files weren't corrupt, again.
I'm circadianally arhythmic right now - and probably atonal, as well. I'm jet-lagged. Everyone tells me they never have problems travelling east, it's the westward adjustment that kills them. I'm exactly the opposite. I was adjusted to Eastern Time by noon of the first day back. I'm still struggling here, and it's been three days. And my shoulder's acting up again. I'll make another appointment today.
I settled right back in, felt right at home. I had a suspicion that life would pull one of it's usual ironic practical jokes on me, and I would suffer massive anxiety as soon as I got back. Luckily, I snuck in under the radar. I had a good two weeks, and it was the right amount of time. Does this mean I owe Dr. Powell an aopolgy? Nah...
While I hadn't actually seen anyone in 12 weeks, this Internet stuff helped me feel I hadn't lost touch. Except Brad and Sandy's new house. And Joanie's new house. And Lynne's new hair. Jon Ryan seems to be treating the car with a reasonable amount of respect - maybe more than I did. I hope he feels at home, since he's got it until September. I only recall wanting to drive on the left once. It's surprising how much of a hassle driving is. Over-aggressive and lesser-astute drivers abound. It makes for too much work and not enough relaxation to enjoy it. I used to look forward to hopping in the car and driving nowhere for an hour or two.
Once eager to drive
It only felt like a chore
Where's my Fiero?
|
I'm circadianally arhythmic right now - and probably atonal, as well. I'm jet-lagged. Everyone tells me they never have problems travelling east, it's the westward adjustment that kills them. I'm exactly the opposite. I was adjusted to Eastern Time by noon of the first day back. I'm still struggling here, and it's been three days. And my shoulder's acting up again. I'll make another appointment today.
I settled right back in, felt right at home. I had a suspicion that life would pull one of it's usual ironic practical jokes on me, and I would suffer massive anxiety as soon as I got back. Luckily, I snuck in under the radar. I had a good two weeks, and it was the right amount of time. Does this mean I owe Dr. Powell an aopolgy? Nah...
While I hadn't actually seen anyone in 12 weeks, this Internet stuff helped me feel I hadn't lost touch. Except Brad and Sandy's new house. And Joanie's new house. And Lynne's new hair. Jon Ryan seems to be treating the car with a reasonable amount of respect - maybe more than I did. I hope he feels at home, since he's got it until September. I only recall wanting to drive on the left once. It's surprising how much of a hassle driving is. Over-aggressive and lesser-astute drivers abound. It makes for too much work and not enough relaxation to enjoy it. I used to look forward to hopping in the car and driving nowhere for an hour or two.
Once eager to drive
It only felt like a chore
Where's my Fiero?
|
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