I get a lot of strange greetings at work because I have been away for so long: some pretend not to remember me, some people re-introduce themselves, some people give the hearty "Welcome back", and some people are glad to see me because they want something from me. I try to get back into the swing of things at work and at home.
Though I feel good on Monday and Tuesday and have no fever, I have a slight fever on Wednesday morning and the head cold threatens to return. But I try to keep getting some exercise each night with walking, the weights, or other core strengthening and stretching exercises. Just enough to boost the metabolism and re-circulate the blood.
Thursday is a semi-productive day at work. When I get home I put fertilizer on the backyard, work on a computer stand, and then have a great session with the weights. I've stayed at this level of weights for the entire week and this workout is very rewarding. I'm still feeling like I need a good night of sleep to get rid of this cold, so I take an Actifed and I'm dozing off for sleep near 8:30 pm. In the middle of the night I look over and note that I've missed a text message from Person E_T (visiting now from Houston) wondering about good places to go on a Thursday night. Well, it's too late now, so I roll over and go back to sleep.
Friday starts with a good loop bicycle ride. I've started a bit early so the early part of the ride is a bit chilly, but it warms up enough for the end of the ride. Near noon I dial in for a teleconference for work. After running errands and buying stuff for the house, I get in another good session with the weights and head up towards West Hollywood to meet up with Person E_T and Person P_Ma (both visiting from Houston.
We start the evening at a Japanese restaurant and then continue at two different clubs. I run into a number of acquaintances and, because it has been quite a while since I went out clubbing, it takes me a bit of time to get back into the spirit of it. Towards the end of the evening, as I'm making a reasoanble facsimile of dancing with my friends and acquaintances, I decide that I've seen the face of god and his name is ChiChi. As ChiChi wants to leave the dance floor I take his hand and try to keep him nearby. But he just smiles and has to go. There is nothing to do but continue burning off energy.
As the second club closes we leave and see a man laying in the street and a number of police cars surrounding the scene. Shortly afterwards a fire truck arrives, a paramedic truck arrives, and air support arrives via helicopter. The police are using their megaphones to tell the clubgoers to leave the area, but nobody does. We cross the street and try and decide what is going on and how the man ended up on laying on the street (alive, by the way). Eventually I head for home and manage to turn out the lights for sleep at 3 am on Saturday morning.
On Saturday I'm up at a reasonable hour and get out for the aquarium bicycle ride. The legs are tired from yesterday's longer ride and the lack of mileage (due to being away from sunny Southern California), but it's a good ride. I have a quick shower and attend a meeting with my city councilperson to stay up to date on the city and the neighborhood. Afterwards I replenish the blood sugar and trim the bush by the side of the house. I'm really hacking it back today and I run out of space in the trash bin. So I take the extra branches and leaves and pile them in a safe place for removal at next week's trash pickup. I also fertilize the front yard and relax for a while. In order to go for the final kill, I take an Actifed and drop off to sleep a bit after 8 pm.
On Sunday I wake up at a reasonable hour but stay in bed and read for a while. I get out for a mid-morning aquarium ride in the warming sunshine and then work on paperwork and organizing things for the kitchen remodel. Late in the afternoon Person C_T comes over and we look at kitchen appliances and cabinets and have a nice dinner. Later I help Person C_T create another videotape for a job interview.
On Monday I rush home and get caught by the neighbor's boyfriend who announces that he has protate cancer and needs my help finding information for him on the Internet. As I lubricate the motorcycle chain (while it is still warm in the driveway) I encourage the neighbor and let him know of resources that I can help him with. I get in a good session with the weights (with increased poundages) and then head off to a neighborhood community meeting. There are not many people here tonight and I get roped into some volunteer efforts. And later I relax and try to recover from the head cold which continues to linger.
On Tuesday the neighbor's boyfriend already has better news but he is grateful for the help. I go out walking and work on abdominals. Otherwise I take another Actifed and hope for deep sleep.
On Wednesday I just drill all of the bodyparts with the weights and feel great. On Thursday I take a couple vacation hours and leave work early - I had to drive because it was raining in the morning and I want to beat traffic. And I want to get in a workout. So I go for a 45 minute run and then prepare for the ResourceScout meeting.
After a productive day at Northrop Grumman on Friday I ride on home and almost get hit twice by cars making lane changes. I put some bush trimmings into the trash bin and there still isn't enough room to get it all in - the remainder will have to wait another week. Late in the evening I get in a great session with the weights to generate some body heat and get the metabolism moving.
Later I'm headed for clubs in West Hollywood. When I head over to the second club to listen to music the lady bartender sees me coming and mouths "Red Bull and 7-Up?" I'm a bit surprised that she remembes this because I've only been here once in three months. But today I decline with, "Usually yes, but today just a diet Coke, please". And she's happy that she remembered and is now able to satiate my thirst. Tonight there are a number of acquaintances who I haven't seen for a while including Person T_CT and Person D_B. It's good to hear what is going on in their lives. Person T_U joins me before midnight and then the fun begins. Person T_M, who I briefly met last week, comes over and starts being friendly and brings his friend, Person Ar_P, who becomes friendly with Person T_U. While Person T_U keeps a reasonable show of decorum, Person T_M and I are out of control. We cause quite a spectacle until Person T_U and others suggest that maybe we should go find a room. In the midst of the antics I drop and completey spill my Red Bull and 7-Up and have to sheepishly go back to the man bartender at this club (who also remembers what I typically drink) and ask him to get someone to come over and clean up my mess. But it's a reasonably fun evening and Person T_U and I decide how best to stay in contact with our respective new friends. After standing outside the club for 20 minutes to let traffic die down I rush for home - the only police activity just after I exit the last freeway home slowing me down a shade. In fact, the police activity includes two police cruisers in contact with a car against a curb - indicating that the police have had to force the car to stop. As a sidelight, the trip home usually involves four freeways: the 10 east, the 110 south, the 105 east, and the 710 south. After reading a bit the lights go out for sleep at 3:11 am on Saturday morning.
On Saturday I don't get out of bed until 7:30 am and work a few things around the house before heading out for a bicycle ride. I only wear a shirt today (no cycling jacket) so the ride is a bit chilly to start with. But once I get going it's just a stormin' ride where I feel great and thoroughly enjoy it. After a shower there's a phonecall with Person T_M and then I do the laundry and run some errands.
The remainder of Saturday is spent doing some ResourceScout programming, listening to music, and watching some television. Seeng that I believe that one more night of deep sleep will cure me of the remaining cough/cold, I take some Kava root extract and prepare for deep sleep. Except that phone calls from Peson C_T, Person T_U, Person E_T, and Person J_VKPI keep me awake until a bit later than planned. Person J_VKPI, who I hadn't heard from in a long time, is now stationed in the area. He requests that I come to the showing for his grandfather who just passed away and I cannot say no. So Sunday night is now accounted for.
The sleep on Saturday night is very very deep. I awake on Sunday morning and take a bit of time to get my bearings before going out cycling. It's another great ride though I feel the effects of yesterday's ride and a laock of sleep on the legs. I'm a bit surprised when I get home and it's a good time for the ride. After getting cleaned up and grabbing lunch, I enjoy looking out the window (while doing ResourceScout programming) and seeing the neighbor kid learning how to ride a bicycle. Yesterday he was pretty shakey on the bicycle and today he's getting pretty stable.
I arrive at Groman's Mortuary just off downtown Los Angeles near 7 pm. I sit at the back of the chapel with Person J_VKPI since the service has just started. The pastor insists on yelling into the microphone and gives a reasonable eulogy even if somewhat generic. Afterwards I am introduced to a number of Person J_VKPI's relatives and friends and I say a prayer for his grandfather who lived 95 years. At one point Person J_VKPI walks up from behind me and says, "You look like the president of the United States". This comes because he has never seen me in a suit and tie before. I hang out until closing time at 9 pm to give Person J_VKPI moral support and then I rush for home and sleep.
On Monday I decide to put the suit and tie on again for work because it is President's day and it's good to keep people guessing. On the way to work there is no traffic so I have a burst of speed and realize, suit and tie or none, 132 mph is a bit fast to talk my way out of if pulled over. So I slow back down and cruise to work at 95 mph or so.
After a semi-productive day at work where many people are absent due to the President's day holiday I get in a heavy session with the weights, go walking for 30 minutes, and but lottery tickets for Tuesday night's mega-game. The remainder of the evening is spent working on incoroporation minutes and taxes for ResourceScout.