Packaging

I've ordered a bunch of stuff for work lately that's come in that awful hard plastic with edges you can't cut through without a bandsaw, but honestly, my malaria and traveler's diarrhea packaging takes the cake. I mean, look - they're six inches tall. The Cipro had 4 count 'em 4 tablets in it. I asked the pharmacist if they'd run out of the smaller bottles and she said "No, it's for the instructions." Jeez oh man.

Bike Porn

Check out the hot PX-10! Oooh, chromed seat and chain stays. Diagonal 531 sticker. Not in great shape but what a beauty!

If this guy thinks he needs boobs to sell this frame, he doesn't know what he's got.

Fun in B'more

So A came down to visit Charm City friday evening, and we hit up the bar circuit first thing. Joe Squared was having their one year anniversary week and had done some really terrible chichi redecorating, which completely ruined the gritty, fry-oil-and-smoke, punk rocky nature of the place. They have ensconced lighting and boring wallpaper and boring art and big plants on the back bar/kitchen area. The PhotoHunt game is tucked away at the front and the video games are still there (as is the DJ area) but it's almost like those are going to be on their way out soon too. Poo. AND there was no kangaroo pizza, though what we had was pretty good.

From there to Club Charles which was pretty empty and less cool than I found it after seeing Borat last weekend (when it was packed and played great music). Finally to Dizzy's for curly fries and more PhotoHunt (damn you, Susansimeo and your lightning fingers!) and home.

Saturday was a PERFECT day - 75 degrees, sunny, amazing. We went up to Rocks State Park and climbed with Martin, Dave, Camilla, Lucy, Katrina, Anne and JP, and Richard. Nate was also there and let us jump on the 5.8 he'd just led, which was a big hand crack and, once I figured out what was going on, not terribly hard. We also bouldered a bit and did a 5.5 the gang had set up before leaving to catch Nick and Johanna at duckpin bowling in Patterson Park. A was whipping SCUD missiles down the lanes but couldn't manage to get a strike, while Edith surpassed all of us in an amazing come from behind trouncing in the 3rd game. My lucky green ball served me well and I broke 100 and had a few strikes.

We left to get pizza and wait for Laura to drive in from DC for salsa night, and as we were leaving I realized I'd lost my car keys. Somehow they fell off my key carabiner between the bowling alley and the pizza place, but we looked and couldn't find 'em. So Laura showed up and we went back with them, I got my extra set and they dropped us off before going to salsa, and all was ok. Now I get to go back and see Chuck the Locksmith which I do not mind at all.

Sunday was cool and rainy, and we finished the crossword and had a nice brunch at Donna's, where Noah from Velocipede turned out to be our server! We got free coffee out of the deal, yay! Friends are awesome. :) Then we hit up Stranger Than Fiction in soulless Towson and the verdict was not bad, not bad at all. Will Ferrell was fantastic, subdued but so expressive. My favorite scene of his was, I think, when Dustin Hoffman is asking him a battery of questions to determine what kind of story he is in. The expressions on his face are just the epitome of normal-guy confusion, with a little hurt, a touch of frustration, and the ever so slight whiff of exasperation. Emma Thompson was quite good too but A was confused about Queen Latifah's role...she didn't really serve to move the plot along, except to allow ET to dialogue without sounding like a crazy person. Which is something, but not a lot.

We dropped A off at the bus stop and headed to DC for the show. Edith read me the Magazine's story about Will Ferrell on the way there and it convinced us that Talladega Nights should be next on our Netflix queue. One of my many bosses saw it this summer and spent 15 minutes trying to describe how it was the perfect movie, with the killer ending that reveals exactly how highbrow it has been the whole time. I didn't believe him then but now, armed with a bit more information, I'm willing to see for myself.

Habib!

Habib last night was awesome - Dobet Gnahore from Cote d'Ivoire and Vusi Mahlasela from South Africa were also amazing. It wasn't 3 separate sets, but trading songs and backing each other up. I think they only did one solo number each, actually. Afterwards we marched backstage (ignoring the guy who asked us who we were with - duh! We're with Habib!) and chatted with Habib for a little bit, and then some more after he finished signing CDs. It was really nice to catch up with him - I met him in 2000 on my first trip to Mali (long story) and we've hung out off and on in Bamako and in the states. Mostly Bamako though.

A whole truckload of DC-based Mali PCVs were there too and it was nice seeing everyone, even if only for five minutes. Gotta get down there to hang with the family more often.

Haircut

Got my haircut. I like it. Jenny at Crash was super nice and even called me on Monday to make sure I liked it and was doing ok. Guess I was a little frazzled during the process. Thinking about going even shorter....and Esther at work is egging me on.

Spying

I get on the shuttle this morning and realize the woman sitting in front of me works at my office. Not too many of us commute via the shuttle - it means a 15-20 minute walk through downtown to get to the building.

She's been in the field for a while and is just back as of a month or so. When she met me briefly I had longer hair and I figure she doesn't recognize me. Also, I'm wearing big sunglasses. I know her to be cool (from others) and she also looks the part, youngish, with streaky gray in her hair and sharp cheekbones.

She gets off at my stop and I follow. She walks pretty fast and there's this awesome The Knife song on my iPod, We Share Our Mother's Health (Trentemoller remix) so I feel like I'm in a spy movie, with my black coat and shades and tailing someone. She takes a slightly different route but I keep track of her the whole time and was never spotted. I'm about a 100m back when she gets to the door. Perfect.

Gorgeous in November

I took the bike to work today, after tightening up the headset last night. Hadn't ridden in about a week and was feeling lonely and incomplete, but sho 'nuff once on the road everything was right again. At lunch I took her out to the parking office, to get my and Edith's neighborhood permits, but I had no registration and the lady was firm. No worries...it was 70 and sunny and I rolled over to Whole Foods for a spinach salad just to prolong my break. A short person's fixie was parked there, a red Schwinn with a cool brown/red argyle dingpad on the top tube. When I came out it had gone. Earlier I'd seen the guy on the green track bike (Bishop?), going the wrong way down Lombard. On Monday I'd seen him going the wrong way on St. Paul as I waited for the shuttle at Penn Station. And I often see the bike alone at Donna's.

I wish it would be light out when I bike home tonight, and as warm as it is now, but those wishes won't come true. But maybe my new saddle will have arrived, and that will have to do for now.

Updates on all the malaria debauchery soon....