This is something I just don't get, driving with one hand on the horn. Everytime I go to a big city I am just amazed at the horn usage. Around here, typically speaking if someone honks their horn at you they either know you, or you are *this close* to getting into an accident. We are in a cab going to the mall area in DC, there are no other cars withing a 10 foot radius of our cab, yet he is honking and waving his hand in general directions. Umm, wtf?
We were making a left hand turn, completely allowed, and every car has to honk their horn at us.
We were pulling over, to the right, to valet parking at the hotel and people honk at us. Hello, we are getting OUT of your way.
Ok. Now that I have that out of my system.
I am back. Happy FY06 to everyone! My project needs are limited right now and so I am decompressing big time. My LDRD has money as of today, and lots of things that need to be done. My industry client project has limited funds through December 2005 and LOTS of things to be done. So between those two things, October should be a pleasant month while I wait for the budget to be passed and the rest of the funds to trickle in on other projects (mid-December to early January my guess).
AB and Leif survived my absence. A little too well if you ask me. Saturday morning I went to get Leif up and he looked at me like he never even noticed I was gone. Oh well.
The trip was good. I left early morning on Thursday. Arrived in Baltimore about 4pm. I was on the same flights as two other guys in my group who were also giving presentations. They had a rental car and so I tagged along with them the entire time. We found out that we all had an unlikely connection to each other... we knew we were all physical chemists, but found out that at some points in our academic careers we had all been at the University of Colorado at Boulder. I did my undergrad there, CW1 did his graduate work there at exactly the same time I was there (and worked with my graduate advisor while he was doing his post-doc), CW2 did his post-doc there. So we actually had lots to talk about and compare notes about.
We arrived in DC from Baltimore and I am always suprised what a pretty area it really is. The drive from Baltimore to DC has just a ton of trees. And we flew in over Chesapeake Bay. Trees make me happy, I live where trees just don't naturally grow.
We ate at a Thai restaurant, yippee. I suggested we eat somewhere that we don't get in our region. Well this suggestion was not taken to heart by the other two guys since we have like 17 Thai restaurants here for some reason. Sushi was out because CW1 doesn't like fish. And CW2 looked at me like I was nutso when I suggested it. Oh well.
Back at the hotel after dinner I crammed on my presentation. Finished it up and ready to go.
I could not sleep. I watched the end of Survivor, then the Apprentice, then ER... I haven't watched ER in ages because it is on too late for me. It wasn't until 4:30am when I really fell into a deep sleep and wouldn't you know it the stupid alarm clock didn't go off? I was woken by room service bringing my Scottish oatmeal with vanilla bean cream and grapefruit juice. Which I could eat none of because my stomach was tossed up in knots.
We all met and took a cab to the mall area. Met up with our program manager who beamed when he saw us and was happy to have a troupe to parade through the building and introduce us to everyone he knew from his time there.
My talk was last and I was happy it was since a big wig popped in for the last half hour. My talk was 15 minutes long as requested. The big wig smiled and nodded as though he understood exactly what I was talking about. Which I know to be all BS because he is a politician who likely knows next to nothing about nuclear physics. But it was very valuable face time.
Afterwards we trekked out for Chinese, which sucked. Then over to the Air and Space Museum. I scored some goodies at the Museum store for Leif and AB, and a key chain for me. Then we left 45 minutes later for the airport.
CW2 and I did our best to navigate the little map given to us by the rental car company while CW1 drove. The main route to the Baltimore airport was closed due to an accident. Not just slow, but closed entirely with instructions to "use alternate route" and no alternate route directions were given. We pulled up to the rental car drop off 1.5 hours before our flight was to leave. We all headed to restrooms to change out of suits for the flights home.
CW2 and I were flying back together while CW1 had a different flight. Once to Salt Lake City we were tired and sore from both of us being stuck in the "coveted" middle seats. We headed over for a smoothie and then walked laps at the airport for an hour or so. Headed back to the gate and were greeted by a "who's who at the lab", all people flying back on the night of the end of FY05. We talked and talked to other people we knew, which was nice. After 2 days with CW2, who is a really nice guy, I was looking forward to chatting with other people. Even program managers who I thought didn't know my name smiled and came over to talk! Everyone was eager for a familiar face I believe.
I finished my October book club book, After Dachau by Daniel Quinn. I am still tossed up on this book, but am really looking forward to discussing it. I will likely blog about it soon trying to reconcile my feelings about the book. It was a quick book, that kept my attention, so I suppose I liked it. More about it later.
Anyways, we had a nice, somewhat relaxing weekend. I made almond crusted salmon with lemon leek sauce last night and we had a pinot noir to go with. I went to a baby shower for one of Leif's former teachers in his infant room who is due in November. Ok, etiquette violation #2... another shower where envelopes were passed around for thank you cards. Apparently I am the only one here who thinks this is rude. But I played along. There were a huge number of people there however, and so like V said, writer's cramp from all these thank you cards anyone? I was glad to go to the shower, but happy to leave. (Aren't they always like that?)
Anyways, it is nearing lunchtime. I have been updated by two people on project stuff the last two days. And a sense of calm is setting in as I realize how many people took vacation today to recover from last week and presumably because now they have limited projects to charge to. I am counting myself as one of the lucky ones.
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