Terradyme: Trials and Tribulations

Thursday, September 19, 2002

Shhh... it's a surprise (Part 2): London, United Kingdom
7-Day Forecast High / Low (�F) Precip. % Fri Sep 20 Mostly Cloudy 65�/52� 10 % Sat Sep 21 Partly Cloudy 65�/52� 30 % Sun Sep 22 Scattered Showers 65�/53� 30 % Mon Sep 23 Mostly Cloudy 65�/51� 10 % Tue Sep 24 Partly Cloudy 64�/51� 10 % Wed Sep 25 Mostly Cloudy 64�/52� 10 % Thu Sep 26 Mostly Cloudy 64�/52� 10 %
9/19/2002 03:11:00 AM

Wednesday, September 18, 2002

Can I just say, before everyone else catches the previews, that The Transporter is at the top of my must-see movies list? Luc Besson also directed The 5th Element, which I liked. Don't know what it is in particular about this star, but there's something .... Odd, as I had zero interest whatsoever in the very similar XXX last month. You can see the trailer here.
9/18/2002 05:37:00 PM

Shhh... it's a surprise.

60 Oxford Road, BANBURY, OX16 9AN Tel: 01295 262461 Fax: 01295 261296 Email: fairlawnsgh@aol.com Description Ideally located, this extended Edwardian house retains some interesting original features and offers a range of bedrooms, including some with direct access to the car park. A comprehensive breakfast is taken in the traditionally furnished dining room and a selection of soft drinks and snacks is also available. Bedroom Facilities Rooms in total: 18, en-suite rooms: 17 Family rooms. Tea/Coffee making. TV.
9/18/2002 05:27:00 PM

It's that time of year. I don't know why, but there's an awfully large number of September birthdays, at least in the circles I move in. Friday night after work I metro'd out to Dunn Loring to meet up with Cathie, Sara and her friend Danny. We went to Sweetwater Tavern to celebrate Sara's birthday. Leo caught up with us a little later, as parking in that strip mall was hard to come by, at least on a Friday night. The food & service were excellent; I might have to try taking Ainsley there some time. Yesterday I took a long lunch to meet my sweetie darling friend Nicky who braved the wilds of Virginia to meet me at Hard Times Cafe. It was her birthday Friday too but she'd taken off work to head to the beach for the weekend (wish I'd joined her). Hard Times is known for its chilli but we both opted for a chicken pasta dish instead, and afterwards moseyed next door to the British Goods store, where Nicky picked up some custard, HP sauce & spotted richard. My mom left for her two-week trip to see her mum in Banbury, where I'm sure she'll be filling her suitcase with its fair share of British Goods (wish I'd joined her). Tonight my dad came by to take me out to dinner for my b-day. "Anywhere but Macaroni Grille," he said, apparently feeling as if we've been there one too many times. He's not wrong. So we went next door to the brewery, where I had a big juicy cheeseburger & fries. Mmmm...but now I can't move.
9/18/2002 01:57:00 AM

Sunday, September 15, 2002

I am insanely busy at work this week, and in fact will have to spend most of tomorrow at the office to catch up. Today was a free day, though, and I decided to go out and splurge on some new clothes--something I haven't done in over a year. Would you believe, I managed to snag all of the following: two packs of briefs; a pack of athletic socks; a pair of tennis shoes; a pair of sweatpants; a pair of nylon track pants; a pair of jeans; and five coloured t-shirts, all for $146? Ainsley would be proud (and surprised) that I actually step foot in Marshalls.
9/15/2002 05:38:00 AM

Wednesday, September 11, 2002

I have been consciously avoiding most of the discussion regarding the anniversary of 9/11. Having said that, I did see a very moving show on PBS on Monday about the NY Fire Department. What I find a bit ironic, however, is the outpouring of patriotism, including the arrival of an 8 1/2" x 11" US Flag in my mailbox, exhorting me to post it in a window and to encourage my neighbors to do the same, on the very same day that DC voters turned out in record low numbers to nominate their mayoral and city council candidates.* *In effect, the mayor has been chosen, as the city is 90% Democrat, and there is no Republican candidate this year.
9/11/2002 05:55:00 PM

Tuesday, September 10, 2002

Well, whadayaknow. Something actually made me laugh today. The Comedian.
9/10/2002 04:11:00 AM

Thursday, September 05, 2002

Nicky offered to contact her mole at the embassy today to check on the status of my application. Another name was suggested, and I phoned at 2pm to speak to Tony O'______. Norma, the woman I normally speak to, unfortunately was playing receptionist and screened my call. The good news, however, is that she's aware I've been waiting and had neglected to tell me that the gentleman who reviews the applications left at the end of August. His replacement is just settling into his job, and she asked for me to have a bit of patience & that I should hear something within a month or so. So, we wait, patiently.
9/05/2002 09:11:00 PM

Wednesday, September 04, 2002

FINALLY, my sweetie darling friend Nicky has phoned, to let me know she's safe and sound, recovering from her cross-country Search for Elvis, and is happy to report he is alive and well. Actually, she did have some good news as her brother, who has been waiting for months, has finally had his emigration/immigration paperwork cleared up and he'll be moving from South Africa to the good ol' US of A next month. We'll be having lunch the 16th (our annual joint-birthday bash) to catch up. Can't wait to see her.
9/04/2002 05:46:00 PM

Tuesday, September 03, 2002

I know I haven't fully explained why I've decided to apply for the Irish citizenship, and perhaps that's a lengthy entry for another day, but here's an excerpt from an email I sent today to someone I've just recently met: I have been perfectly content being depressed & unmotivated for the last year, and [recent events] at DARPA have made me question whether the plans that I have made (even if they were to �do nothing�) are still for the best. You are now aware of my pending citizenship application, which I submitted to the embassy last year. At that time, I had expected it to be cleared within four-six months and that I would have left D A R P A by now. I have been taking steps to prepare for that eventuality, including selling almost all my books, videos, CDs on ebay as I won�t be able to take them with me. I�m also having to resolve the issue of my two cats, who are no longer kittens and who I can�t in good conscience consider putting through the U.K.�s mandatory 6 month quarantine. I have also anticipated that I will have to take a significant pay cut, as wages in Europe are not on par with their American equivalents. Perhaps you can imagine my apprehension at the prospect of arriving in a foreign country with no contacts, no job, no housing, and the sum of my possessions in my suitcases. I will truly be starting over, which at 34 seems a step back but if I�m going to do it, better at 34 than 44 or 54. The fact that I have had to wait more than twice as long as I originally anticipated adds to the low-level stress and depression. I do not want to get involved in any extracurricular activities or classes or friendships or relationships, as I know I�ll be leaving, perhaps very quickly. So I work, and I go home, and I sell stuff and throw stuff out, and I go to work again. Perhaps you did not know that I went to see a doctor last year & was diagnosed as having low-level "situational" depression. At the time, I opted not to treat the condition with medication, hoping that circumstances would change and the "situation" would resolve itself, particularly with the move. Well, the move hasn't happened and I am tired of being in limbo. It's been nearly nine months since I sent my application, and nearly three since I was told I'd hear something within a month. Wouldn't it be funny if my application were rejected?
9/03/2002 04:30:00 AM

I could get used to these three day weekends. I've been dealing with administrative ebay and half.com issues most of the weekend, but managed to take a break yesterday to head over to the Boivins with my dad for an indoor-outdoor luxury candlelit bar-b-que. We were more than the usual as Beth's roommie Kelly came, as did Cathie's friend Deborah and Sara's friend Danny. As usual, the food and the conversation and the company were all thoroughly enjoyed. I tried not to sleep in too late as I needed to go into work for some archiving & sorting. I took a break mid-afternoon to see Rupert Everett and Reese Witherspoon in The Importance of Being Earnest. Judi Dench stole the show, though. There isn't anything she's been in that I haven't liked. I've put Iris on my netflix queue.

The evening's been spent mucking about with the site. It's still not 100%, but good enough for everyone except the mother-in-law.
9/03/2002 04:23:00 AM

Well that didn't take long.
9/03/2002 03:57:00 AM