The weather is as nice as can be during this May week. Nonetheless I'm having the blahs. But I spend the time after work cycling, lifting weights, tending the roses, milling about the yard, and enjoying the nice sunshine.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, after arriving at home from work, I lift weights and then work on cleaning up the roses. I enjoy playing in the dirt and getting dirty as it takes my mind off work-related stress. The roses and rose beds are now starting to look showable.
Person S_C contacts me via email. Person S_C is a former co-worker (she just left our company). We always had intentions of going clubbing or skating or something, but never quite made it happen. Anyway, Person S_C wanted to be in the diary, so here it is.
Thursday is national bicycle to work day, so I'm on the bicycle at 5:40 am on the way to work. There appear to be a few more bicycles on the road today then usual, but not many. And I have a good 16 mile ride home as the ocean breeze gives me a little extra push this afternoon.
On Friday I am at my office just after 6:15 am. I get some work done and close up shop at 8 am. I'm jumping on the motorcycle to ride down to Huntington Beach to meet with Boeing and discuss our launch vehicle. After the meeting I go directly home - having informed my boss that it doesn't make sense for me to come back to work for just a few more hours of effort.
When I get home on Friday I pick up a window for the garage, do the laundry, have lunch, mow and trim the lawn, and water the roses. It is still early, so I jump on the mountain bicycle and do the aquarium ride. Now I start in on removing the old window from the garage and putting the new one in. Other than a slight hiccup, the installation goes well. Now I can have a shower and relax.
Person C_T calls and will be over shortly. We agree to see the movie "Crash" which we both read synopsii about and thought might be interesting. We rush over and catch the 7:30 pm showing. The movie is horrible and I consider leaving in the middle. But I don't want to influence Person C_T's moviegoing experience, so I ride it out. The movie captures every known racial stereotype on film and tries to weave a story out of it. It is pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. Afterwards Person C_T pretty much agress though not quite as vehemently.
On Saturday morning I get out for the (almost) 30 mile loop ride, watch qualifying for the Grand Prix of Monaco, grab a shower, and head out for breakfast with Person C_T. Later we go walking around downtown Long Beach and the Broadway Corridor part of Long Beach for a long time. We are both starting to drag, so we head for home near 4pm, grab a quick snack, and I get down for a short nap while Person C_T surfs the Internet and catches up on email and stuff. Late in the evening Person C_T and I grab a blanket, spread it out in the backyard, and watch stars (as well as other activities). We go back inside the house when the mosquitos and other bugs start biting us.
On Sunday morning I get out for a walk and buy the newspaper. I read some of the newspaper while the Grand Prix of Monaco is being re-played. The race is fairly uneventfull and the world championship is tightening up. Person C_T and I just hang out and read the paper while we wait for Person L_M and Person J_VKPI to come over. At the last minute Person J_VKPI says that he will meet us at the festival this year rather than riding down with us. So off Person C_T, Person L_M, and I go.
There are four stages at the festival and lousy mobile phone reception, so we are lucky to run into Person J_VKPI and his cousin. The cousin of Person J_VKPI could be a twin of Person J_VKPI. They both have the same bodystyle, facial structure, smile, and mannerisms. With the lousy mobile phone reception it takes us a couple hours and various directions ("Meet us at the Main Stage at 5:15") before we meet up with Person T_U.
As we are all together a person comes up to me and starts talking to me like he knows me. I cannot picture who it is or where/if I know him from, so I just go along with the conversation and introduce people, "Here's my friend Person T_U". The guy makes pleasant conversation until he says to his friend, "David, Ray is a co-worker". And then I realize that Person P_V is a co-worker who I just recently met during the normal course of business. Later I tell my group of friends my embarassment of not remembering where I knew him from. And they all say that they didn't get that impression because I didn't let on that I was confused regarding his identity. But then the old person and Alzhiemer's jokes come out in full force.
After the festival Person C_T and Person L_M come over for a short time and have milk and brownies. And then they head for home. As I'm taking my clothes off I see a slip of paper with a phone number on it. I don't know whose number it is or how it got there, but I do know that it was put there at the festival (because my pockets were completely empty when I put the pants on). I toss the paper into the trash before collapsing into bed for sleep.