a pic of my nephew, Christian, born on 5/19. isn't he the cutest? all he does is eat, sleep, poop, and cry - good for him! more to come...
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
finally...
a pic of my nephew, Christian, born on 5/19. isn't he the cutest? all he does is eat, sleep, poop, and cry - good for him! more to come...
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
it's...
a BBQ joint!?!
the Birchmere (where Swing Out Sister is playing) is a freakin' BBQ joint! they're all strict when you walk in...check yer bags...confiscate your bottle of water...no standing or dancing...and the place turns out to be all row tables with red and white checkered tablecloths - weird. they may as well have played at Trail Dust Steakhouse.
the concert, strange settings and all, was quite good. the band was comprised of six people: Corrine (lead singer), Dee and Sylvia (background singers), Tim (guitarist), Juneroy (bassist), and Myke (drummer). they came out and performed sixteen songs over a span of 95 minutes. their concert ended at approximately 10:05 and we waited a good 30 minutes for our taxi, which wasn't even ours. it really was for these two guys on the bench, just outside the doors. lucky for us, they agreed to share their taxi since we were both headed for the Pentagon City metro stop. thank you guys from Atlanta...
now, while Swing Out Sister was great (as usual). the opening act was not. her name was KinneyStarr, a canadian performer who would have seemed more at home in a cafe that was sponsoring a poetry slam night. her act...songwriting...guitar playing...needs some polish. but hey, i'm sure that SOS likes to support the up-and-coming (if that's what you wanna call her) artists. and that's a good thing. after all, it's not easy getting up there to perform yer stuff in front of 500 people. just think how the Jimi Hendrix Experience was soundly booed when they opened for the Monkees on their first tour. and what about Prince opening for the RollingStones in the early 80's? you gotta start somewhere...
the Birchmere (where Swing Out Sister is playing) is a freakin' BBQ joint! they're all strict when you walk in...check yer bags...confiscate your bottle of water...no standing or dancing...and the place turns out to be all row tables with red and white checkered tablecloths - weird. they may as well have played at Trail Dust Steakhouse.
the concert, strange settings and all, was quite good. the band was comprised of six people: Corrine (lead singer), Dee and Sylvia (background singers), Tim (guitarist), Juneroy (bassist), and Myke (drummer). they came out and performed sixteen songs over a span of 95 minutes. their concert ended at approximately 10:05 and we waited a good 30 minutes for our taxi, which wasn't even ours. it really was for these two guys on the bench, just outside the doors. lucky for us, they agreed to share their taxi since we were both headed for the Pentagon City metro stop. thank you guys from Atlanta...
now, while Swing Out Sister was great (as usual). the opening act was not. her name was KinneyStarr, a canadian performer who would have seemed more at home in a cafe that was sponsoring a poetry slam night. her act...songwriting...guitar playing...needs some polish. but hey, i'm sure that SOS likes to support the up-and-coming (if that's what you wanna call her) artists. and that's a good thing. after all, it's not easy getting up there to perform yer stuff in front of 500 people. just think how the Jimi Hendrix Experience was soundly booed when they opened for the Monkees on their first tour. and what about Prince opening for the RollingStones in the early 80's? you gotta start somewhere...
out and about...
today, we spent walking along the National Mall, a two mile stretch that starts with the Lincoln Monument on the west end and ends at the Capitol Building at the east.
although we didn't quite have enough time to see everything, we were still able to catch the WWII Monument and the Washington Monument (even though we didn't go up; tix usually are gone by mid-morning). oddly, we didn't go into any of the Smithsonian buildings or Nat'l Air/Space Museum - both are so impressive.
The WWII Monument was a new one for me. unfortunately, we weren't able to really enjoy the structure and its architectural nuances because my eye was killing me. initially, i thought i'd be okay with the 'vision impaired' sun shades that i had brought. ha! you have to remember that my left pupil has been constantly dilated since the end of May. so...to avoid brain-splitting headaches from the sunlight, i had to have a visor, clip-on shades, AND the sun shades just so i could enjoy the sights with few complications.
anyway, the monument is quite impressive. unlike the Vietnam War Memorial, which is emotionally striking but a long wall with the names of the 58000+ casualties, the WWII is a beautiful central fountain surrounded by fifty six granite pillars that (along with the fountain's reflection) are almost blinding in the afternoon sun. i think seeing this monument affected me more than seeing the Vietnam Memorial in 1987 because my father fought in Europe in 1944-45.
we didn't see the Korean War Memorial, which was a bit further down. i wish we would have gone though; i wonder what Lois' reaction would have been. when i first saw it in '97, it spooked me. just looking at the bronze soldiers, so life-like, returning from what looks like reconaissance, almost puts you there without the sound of war - too surreal.
after suffering through the all too bright sunlight and reflection from the fountain, we headed towards the White House...which is too blocked off for a good view. feh.
we ended up in a *$$ just NE of it and got some major brain freeze from that yummy frappucino we shared. after hiding out for an hour, we decided to feed our tummies and took the metro to a Thai restaurant not far from the Capitol building.
mmm...Thai food. whenever we travel in the U.S., we always try to seek out a Thai restaurant in each metropolitan city. this place was a teeny narrow place with fewer than 15 tables. it was so great to get out of the prohibitive heat and humidity, into a cool refuge with spicy food. the a/c stops yer sweat, but the food starts it up again...cooling you off starting off with yer forehead, now dripping with beads of sweat. ain't life grand?
although we didn't quite have enough time to see everything, we were still able to catch the WWII Monument and the Washington Monument (even though we didn't go up; tix usually are gone by mid-morning). oddly, we didn't go into any of the Smithsonian buildings or Nat'l Air/Space Museum - both are so impressive.
The WWII Monument was a new one for me. unfortunately, we weren't able to really enjoy the structure and its architectural nuances because my eye was killing me. initially, i thought i'd be okay with the 'vision impaired' sun shades that i had brought. ha! you have to remember that my left pupil has been constantly dilated since the end of May. so...to avoid brain-splitting headaches from the sunlight, i had to have a visor, clip-on shades, AND the sun shades just so i could enjoy the sights with few complications.
anyway, the monument is quite impressive. unlike the Vietnam War Memorial, which is emotionally striking but a long wall with the names of the 58000+ casualties, the WWII is a beautiful central fountain surrounded by fifty six granite pillars that (along with the fountain's reflection) are almost blinding in the afternoon sun. i think seeing this monument affected me more than seeing the Vietnam Memorial in 1987 because my father fought in Europe in 1944-45.
we didn't see the Korean War Memorial, which was a bit further down. i wish we would have gone though; i wonder what Lois' reaction would have been. when i first saw it in '97, it spooked me. just looking at the bronze soldiers, so life-like, returning from what looks like reconaissance, almost puts you there without the sound of war - too surreal.
after suffering through the all too bright sunlight and reflection from the fountain, we headed towards the White House...which is too blocked off for a good view. feh.
we ended up in a *$$ just NE of it and got some major brain freeze from that yummy frappucino we shared. after hiding out for an hour, we decided to feed our tummies and took the metro to a Thai restaurant not far from the Capitol building.
mmm...Thai food. whenever we travel in the U.S., we always try to seek out a Thai restaurant in each metropolitan city. this place was a teeny narrow place with fewer than 15 tables. it was so great to get out of the prohibitive heat and humidity, into a cool refuge with spicy food. the a/c stops yer sweat, but the food starts it up again...cooling you off starting off with yer forehead, now dripping with beads of sweat. ain't life grand?
Monday, June 13, 2005
hot...hot
D.C. is a great place to visit...so many places to visit...countless ethnic cuisines...provided you can withstand the heat.
i think the next time i come, it'll be in april or october.
it is just so hot outside. we got off the plane around 6:00 and are sweating it out in our pants. i know we probably should've worn shorts but we did get on the plane early this morning and sometimes those planes can be downright cold.
we had a couple hours for our layover in Milwaukee. had some pizza and breadsticks at the Pizza Hut on the concourse and waited it out in the adjoining bar, armed with this month's Discovery magazine...which was really cool. there was an article about one of the nation's foremost mycologists. it basically outlined his mere existence as the 'top mushroom' guy. you'd think that his life was just teeny slivers of mushrooms on a slide, under a microscope. really though, it isn't. he gets many calls a year from hospitals, asking for advice on patients who have come in, sick from a mushroom he/she probably shouldn't have toyed with in the first place.
i love mushrooms. i once bought a book on 'em during a survey in the mountains. we were coming across so many specimens in open fields, under foliage, in fallen tree trunks. i wanted to know what they were and if they were edible. unfortunately, this book was perhaps too vast in its mycological analysis; i should've looked for a Colorado mushroom book ;) it was too daunting to collect some, look through the book, and find out that the mushroom was either very tasty with a bit of oil and garlic or it was deadly poisonous. there are many lookalike mushrooms that can only be singled out with a spore print of the gills. and sometimes the difference between palatable and sick to yer stomach is a dark residue or white residue. and who has time to deal with that?
so...i stick to store bought mushrooms. one of these days though...
anyway, it's hot here in the nation's capital.
as i mentioned, we're staying at the Channel Inn, which is right off the Washington Channel, not far from the Potomac River. the room is pretty average...nothing that you couldn't get at a Super 8 or Motel 6. the only plus is that we get a balcony and a view of the boats on the pier, as the super sweaty walkers/joggers pass by on the parallel sidewalk.
one thing that this hotel may lack though, is a proximity to places to eat. the hotel restaurant, Pier 7 specializes in seafood, but other than that and a seafood buffet up the street, there ain't much. we did make our way to a 'Margaritaville-type' place on the water and had mediocre food, but a great view of the channel and the spectacular views of the lightning across the water, towards the landing planes at Reagan National.
tomorrow, we head to the National Mall for some sightseeing and maybe lunch at a Thai restaurant before the concert. tonight, though, we're gonna hang out in the room, watch some telly, and crank up the A/C.
i think the next time i come, it'll be in april or october.
it is just so hot outside. we got off the plane around 6:00 and are sweating it out in our pants. i know we probably should've worn shorts but we did get on the plane early this morning and sometimes those planes can be downright cold.
we had a couple hours for our layover in Milwaukee. had some pizza and breadsticks at the Pizza Hut on the concourse and waited it out in the adjoining bar, armed with this month's Discovery magazine...which was really cool. there was an article about one of the nation's foremost mycologists. it basically outlined his mere existence as the 'top mushroom' guy. you'd think that his life was just teeny slivers of mushrooms on a slide, under a microscope. really though, it isn't. he gets many calls a year from hospitals, asking for advice on patients who have come in, sick from a mushroom he/she probably shouldn't have toyed with in the first place.
i love mushrooms. i once bought a book on 'em during a survey in the mountains. we were coming across so many specimens in open fields, under foliage, in fallen tree trunks. i wanted to know what they were and if they were edible. unfortunately, this book was perhaps too vast in its mycological analysis; i should've looked for a Colorado mushroom book ;) it was too daunting to collect some, look through the book, and find out that the mushroom was either very tasty with a bit of oil and garlic or it was deadly poisonous. there are many lookalike mushrooms that can only be singled out with a spore print of the gills. and sometimes the difference between palatable and sick to yer stomach is a dark residue or white residue. and who has time to deal with that?
so...i stick to store bought mushrooms. one of these days though...
anyway, it's hot here in the nation's capital.
as i mentioned, we're staying at the Channel Inn, which is right off the Washington Channel, not far from the Potomac River. the room is pretty average...nothing that you couldn't get at a Super 8 or Motel 6. the only plus is that we get a balcony and a view of the boats on the pier, as the super sweaty walkers/joggers pass by on the parallel sidewalk.
one thing that this hotel may lack though, is a proximity to places to eat. the hotel restaurant, Pier 7 specializes in seafood, but other than that and a seafood buffet up the street, there ain't much. we did make our way to a 'Margaritaville-type' place on the water and had mediocre food, but a great view of the channel and the spectacular views of the lightning across the water, towards the landing planes at Reagan National.
tomorrow, we head to the National Mall for some sightseeing and maybe lunch at a Thai restaurant before the concert. tonight, though, we're gonna hang out in the room, watch some telly, and crank up the A/C.
Sunday, June 12, 2005
a good time...
was had today - twice.
met cindi for some *$$ before she headed for the last show at Shwayder. although the visit was only a scant half hour, we crammed in some good conversation and laughs. i sure like that lady...she is SUCH a keeper.
a few hours later, our friends, bob and wanda, came to the house to take us up to arn & helena's gathering in Longmont. we weren't sure about the weather, but we brought camp chairs anyway. good thing because after a quick shower before we left, there was nary a hint of rain afterwards. what luck! the chairs came in good use even if we ended up eating our dinner on the steps of their hot tub ;) i think of the 40-50 people there, only about 20 brought chairs...so they were strapped in getting enough people sat in their backyard...which is SO beautiful. i think they have a 1/4 acre...filled with trees, flowers, shrubs, two grassy knolls, and that 9 person hot tub. i guess they're leaving this little eden for an argentine one.
it's going to be a bit sad without arn & helena. we met them through a network group for anthropologists about ten years ago. and of the original 35 members, i think our core group of four couples have stayed tight knit (mainly because three of the women went to grad school together) and have gatherings at least twice a year. it's just not gonna be the same without those two...on the upside though, it's a great excuse to go to Argentina!!!
should be going to bed soon. our flight leaves at 9:25...and we need to be there probably by 8:30 at the latest. luckily, i've already checked in online and we may just have carry on luggage. so really, we just have to go through the line and pray for no delays. one piece of news that i found a wee bit discouraging though was that our flight (#2905) was cancelled this morning due to maintenance. i'm sure we'll have a different plane but...
i just wanna get there - no hassles. yeah.
now, if i could just figure out what clothes i wanna take...it's supposed to be in the low 90's for the first three days and about 80 degrees the day we leave. i hope i can find some really lightweight pants that still fit my porky ass ;)
see ya!
met cindi for some *$$ before she headed for the last show at Shwayder. although the visit was only a scant half hour, we crammed in some good conversation and laughs. i sure like that lady...she is SUCH a keeper.
a few hours later, our friends, bob and wanda, came to the house to take us up to arn & helena's gathering in Longmont. we weren't sure about the weather, but we brought camp chairs anyway. good thing because after a quick shower before we left, there was nary a hint of rain afterwards. what luck! the chairs came in good use even if we ended up eating our dinner on the steps of their hot tub ;) i think of the 40-50 people there, only about 20 brought chairs...so they were strapped in getting enough people sat in their backyard...which is SO beautiful. i think they have a 1/4 acre...filled with trees, flowers, shrubs, two grassy knolls, and that 9 person hot tub. i guess they're leaving this little eden for an argentine one.
it's going to be a bit sad without arn & helena. we met them through a network group for anthropologists about ten years ago. and of the original 35 members, i think our core group of four couples have stayed tight knit (mainly because three of the women went to grad school together) and have gatherings at least twice a year. it's just not gonna be the same without those two...on the upside though, it's a great excuse to go to Argentina!!!
should be going to bed soon. our flight leaves at 9:25...and we need to be there probably by 8:30 at the latest. luckily, i've already checked in online and we may just have carry on luggage. so really, we just have to go through the line and pray for no delays. one piece of news that i found a wee bit discouraging though was that our flight (#2905) was cancelled this morning due to maintenance. i'm sure we'll have a different plane but...
i just wanna get there - no hassles. yeah.
now, if i could just figure out what clothes i wanna take...it's supposed to be in the low 90's for the first three days and about 80 degrees the day we leave. i hope i can find some really lightweight pants that still fit my porky ass ;)
see ya!
wired...
i swear, prednisone makes you downright irritable. for me, it's like being on meth...geez. i'm wanting to go and talk 1000 mph.
today was pretty busy. got the haircut that i sorely needed. although it's a bit short, at least it'll grow back. it's funny, the last two times my stylist has cut my hair, she parted it down the middle. ummm. you've been cutting my hair for about three years and you know i part it on the side, right?
we talk and laugh and she then wants to spike my hair, saying that it's all the rage w/ asians. sorry, not me. twenty years ago i used to do that because...it was all the rage. i'm not mr. retro and i don't want to be spencer the rock star. ugh.
ah well.
anyway...
it was go to the store day too. susie is gonna come over and watch the ol' fat dog for the three days we'll be gone. it should be a nice respite for her and the baby. their place is so crammed with baby shower stuff that you almost can't breathe ;) you say that you only have 500 diapers left?
so...we got groceries for them (Andy too). isn't it hilarious how you need a few things and end up getting a week's worth of food instead? $94?!? but we just came in for some coffee...
the second stop was the Entenmann's outlet (well, now Bimbo's) for bird bread. talk about going on a binge. seventy-five cent loaves of rye...half price boxes of donuts...free items. i think we got 15 items for $12, about a quarter of the price than the supermarket. why spend $2.49 or $3.29 for Oroweat breads when you can get 'em for $1.49 at the outlet?
our final stop was the liquor store. we wanted to find a special bottle of wine (or two) for a going away party tomorrow. our friends, Arn and Helena, have sold their Longmont house and are going to travel the U.S. and Holland (Helena's homeland) from July to October, before moving into their new plantation/orchard/winery in Argentina.
i...so...hate...them ;)
well, just a bit of jealousy. for the past few years, they'd been thinking of leaving it all behind. they just figured that all their hard earned money over the years may stretch further in another country. initially, they were considering New Zealand or Panamá, but they settled on a beautiful bodega in the Mendoza wine growing region of NW Argentina.
sure, the place is gonna need some TLC, but they're just the right people to do this. you should see the garden/landscaping/construction job that they did at their old house in a few short years. we're hoping to visit them late next year and check in on their progress.
back to the liquor though. we settled on five bottles (ha!)...we'll be taking an Albariño. it's a white wine from Spain that i'd just found about last month. it's the primary grape used to make dry white wine in Galacia (NW region of Spain). supposedly, it's the premier Spanish white wine. lois'll like it because it has many Riesling qualities (i.e., fruity, sometimes with a hint of floral).
hopefully, it was a good choice. after all, it cost $13!!! not much when it comes to wine, but we rarely drop more than $11-$12 on a bottle because there are so many great ones for $6-$9. and really, i'm no oenophile. i know what i like and frankly, a $50+ bottle of wine would just be wasted on me. unless, that is, you're buying...then, and only then, could i fully appreciate it in a "Sideways" manner ;) but without all the melodrama and condescension.
suffice to say, all that shoppin' pooped us out. so what the hell am i doing up at 2:19AM? flying on prednisone and coffee. i'm wondering if i should take my chinese herbs too that my acupuncturist concocted for me yesterday. although i don't speak mandarin, i heard her mention 'ma huang' when she was instructing her husband on someone's herbal mix. if that was mine, then taking the herbs will turn on the jitters because 'ma huang' is essentially ephedra...whoo hoo!
so nighty night just might not happen...drool
today was pretty busy. got the haircut that i sorely needed. although it's a bit short, at least it'll grow back. it's funny, the last two times my stylist has cut my hair, she parted it down the middle. ummm. you've been cutting my hair for about three years and you know i part it on the side, right?
we talk and laugh and she then wants to spike my hair, saying that it's all the rage w/ asians. sorry, not me. twenty years ago i used to do that because...it was all the rage. i'm not mr. retro and i don't want to be spencer the rock star. ugh.
ah well.
anyway...
it was go to the store day too. susie is gonna come over and watch the ol' fat dog for the three days we'll be gone. it should be a nice respite for her and the baby. their place is so crammed with baby shower stuff that you almost can't breathe ;) you say that you only have 500 diapers left?
so...we got groceries for them (Andy too). isn't it hilarious how you need a few things and end up getting a week's worth of food instead? $94?!? but we just came in for some coffee...
the second stop was the Entenmann's outlet (well, now Bimbo's) for bird bread. talk about going on a binge. seventy-five cent loaves of rye...half price boxes of donuts...free items. i think we got 15 items for $12, about a quarter of the price than the supermarket. why spend $2.49 or $3.29 for Oroweat breads when you can get 'em for $1.49 at the outlet?
our final stop was the liquor store. we wanted to find a special bottle of wine (or two) for a going away party tomorrow. our friends, Arn and Helena, have sold their Longmont house and are going to travel the U.S. and Holland (Helena's homeland) from July to October, before moving into their new plantation/orchard/winery in Argentina.
i...so...hate...them ;)
well, just a bit of jealousy. for the past few years, they'd been thinking of leaving it all behind. they just figured that all their hard earned money over the years may stretch further in another country. initially, they were considering New Zealand or Panamá, but they settled on a beautiful bodega in the Mendoza wine growing region of NW Argentina.
sure, the place is gonna need some TLC, but they're just the right people to do this. you should see the garden/landscaping/construction job that they did at their old house in a few short years. we're hoping to visit them late next year and check in on their progress.
back to the liquor though. we settled on five bottles (ha!)...we'll be taking an Albariño. it's a white wine from Spain that i'd just found about last month. it's the primary grape used to make dry white wine in Galacia (NW region of Spain). supposedly, it's the premier Spanish white wine. lois'll like it because it has many Riesling qualities (i.e., fruity, sometimes with a hint of floral).
hopefully, it was a good choice. after all, it cost $13!!! not much when it comes to wine, but we rarely drop more than $11-$12 on a bottle because there are so many great ones for $6-$9. and really, i'm no oenophile. i know what i like and frankly, a $50+ bottle of wine would just be wasted on me. unless, that is, you're buying...then, and only then, could i fully appreciate it in a "Sideways" manner ;) but without all the melodrama and condescension.
suffice to say, all that shoppin' pooped us out. so what the hell am i doing up at 2:19AM? flying on prednisone and coffee. i'm wondering if i should take my chinese herbs too that my acupuncturist concocted for me yesterday. although i don't speak mandarin, i heard her mention 'ma huang' when she was instructing her husband on someone's herbal mix. if that was mine, then taking the herbs will turn on the jitters because 'ma huang' is essentially ephedra...whoo hoo!
so nighty night just might not happen...drool
Thursday, June 09, 2005
getting closer...
to our trip.
as i may have mentioned in a couple posts, lois and i are going to the nation's capital for three nights on the 13th. she's never been there and it has been about eight years since i was there last.
it's funny that the main reason for the trip is not for the monuments/museums/national zoo.
no.
we're actually going because my favorite group, Swing Out Sister, is playing at a club in nearby Alexandria, VA. i've been such a fiend for their music since the first time i saw one of their videos (Waiting Game) on VH1...in 1989. unfortunately, in the past 20 years, SOS (as they're affectionately abbreviated) has toured the states twice (in '94 and '97) AND only in a handful of cities.
lois and i did catch their last american tour about eight years ago in San Fran, when they were supporting their release of Shapes and Patterns. that show was magical. it was just after my 27th b-day, at a place called Bimbo's 365. the place was jam packed. we grabbed a teeny table in the back and ended up leaving it for the dance floor. while we were in town, we got to eat some of our favorite cuisines, Burmese and Afghani. ever had either? Burmese food is kinda like Thai with chinese and indian influences. unfortunately, there are no Burmese restaurants in Colorado. as for Afghani food, it's middle eastern with some Persian (iran) and indian thrown in. think slightly sweet (persian) with stewy (indian). there is one Afghani restaurant in the metro area, Kabob House (in Aurora). it's not as good as Helmand in SF, but it's 1300 miles closer ;)
now, on this trip, we're gonna see SOS for my 35th b-day and eat ethnic. Along with NYC, Chicago, and San Fran, DC is one of the best cities to cure almost any ethnic food craving. just hanging out in the Adams Morgan district will do the trick. who needs to go to Georgetown/Foggy Bottom? there's good cheap ethnic in that area BUT the majority of the embassy houses lie in Adams Morgan. where else can you walk a block and see thai, ethiopian, lebanese, (el) salvadoran, spanish, italian, argentine, cuban...u name it. supposedly, there are cambodian and azerbaijani places too; something i'll have to investigate.
we even changed our accomodations on a whim. originally, we had reservations at the stinky ol' Econolodge in Arlington (near the Pentagon). good because of its proximity to the Birchmere (where SOS is playing)...and the free airport shuttle...and the continental bkfst. (read: sugar donuts and shitty machine dispensed 'juice')...and the shuttle to the Pentagon Metro station. $95/night. sometimes ya gotta pay for convenience...
nah.
we changed our minds and ended up reserving a room at the Channel Inn instead. closer to the main attractions, view of the Potomac instead of the highway, and we won't have to worry about scheduling our shuttle to get to a metro stop since there's a stop a few blocks away. okay...no airport shuttle...no stale donut or carcinogenic juice...and $139/night. sometimes ya gotta pay for comfort ;)
and dammit, it's gonna be my birfday. with all the crap going on with the uveitis, i deserve some stress free sumpin'!
ahhh, it's nice to finally pointlessly rant again. it has been so long since my blog had ANY content...
as i may have mentioned in a couple posts, lois and i are going to the nation's capital for three nights on the 13th. she's never been there and it has been about eight years since i was there last.
it's funny that the main reason for the trip is not for the monuments/museums/national zoo.
no.
we're actually going because my favorite group, Swing Out Sister, is playing at a club in nearby Alexandria, VA. i've been such a fiend for their music since the first time i saw one of their videos (Waiting Game) on VH1...in 1989. unfortunately, in the past 20 years, SOS (as they're affectionately abbreviated) has toured the states twice (in '94 and '97) AND only in a handful of cities.
lois and i did catch their last american tour about eight years ago in San Fran, when they were supporting their release of Shapes and Patterns. that show was magical. it was just after my 27th b-day, at a place called Bimbo's 365. the place was jam packed. we grabbed a teeny table in the back and ended up leaving it for the dance floor. while we were in town, we got to eat some of our favorite cuisines, Burmese and Afghani. ever had either? Burmese food is kinda like Thai with chinese and indian influences. unfortunately, there are no Burmese restaurants in Colorado. as for Afghani food, it's middle eastern with some Persian (iran) and indian thrown in. think slightly sweet (persian) with stewy (indian). there is one Afghani restaurant in the metro area, Kabob House (in Aurora). it's not as good as Helmand in SF, but it's 1300 miles closer ;)
now, on this trip, we're gonna see SOS for my 35th b-day and eat ethnic. Along with NYC, Chicago, and San Fran, DC is one of the best cities to cure almost any ethnic food craving. just hanging out in the Adams Morgan district will do the trick. who needs to go to Georgetown/Foggy Bottom? there's good cheap ethnic in that area BUT the majority of the embassy houses lie in Adams Morgan. where else can you walk a block and see thai, ethiopian, lebanese, (el) salvadoran, spanish, italian, argentine, cuban...u name it. supposedly, there are cambodian and azerbaijani places too; something i'll have to investigate.
we even changed our accomodations on a whim. originally, we had reservations at the stinky ol' Econolodge in Arlington (near the Pentagon). good because of its proximity to the Birchmere (where SOS is playing)...and the free airport shuttle...and the continental bkfst. (read: sugar donuts and shitty machine dispensed 'juice')...and the shuttle to the Pentagon Metro station. $95/night. sometimes ya gotta pay for convenience...
nah.
we changed our minds and ended up reserving a room at the Channel Inn instead. closer to the main attractions, view of the Potomac instead of the highway, and we won't have to worry about scheduling our shuttle to get to a metro stop since there's a stop a few blocks away. okay...no airport shuttle...no stale donut or carcinogenic juice...and $139/night. sometimes ya gotta pay for comfort ;)
and dammit, it's gonna be my birfday. with all the crap going on with the uveitis, i deserve some stress free sumpin'!
ahhh, it's nice to finally pointlessly rant again. it has been so long since my blog had ANY content...
not all...
is bad though.
tuesday night was a lot of fun. our good friend, Cindy, and Susie came by. of course, susie was armed with her adorable son, Christian. lois and cindy just oohed and aahed all night.
we just hung out...had a couple drinks...ordered chinese take out.
good little babies seem to make everything all better sometimes.
stay tuned for pics...
tuesday night was a lot of fun. our good friend, Cindy, and Susie came by. of course, susie was armed with her adorable son, Christian. lois and cindy just oohed and aahed all night.
we just hung out...had a couple drinks...ordered chinese take out.
good little babies seem to make everything all better sometimes.
stay tuned for pics...
she gonna be mad...
tonight, we were supposed to catch Iolanthe at the Shwayder. you remember...Cindi and her bfg's show. in fact, lois' friend, Carol (who is also in the show), had set aside two tix for us.
well...
we didn't make it. i hate to say it, but we only have two good eyes between us. my left one is jacked and lois' right one still has oil from the retinal reattachment AND a slipped lens (which will be fixed when the oil comes out in ONE more operation - making it four). i think if we were to drive back after the show, we'd have one ourselves. the spectacle of us driving/navigating at night would be like a cross-eyed 90 year-old who needs to get to the nearest bathroom. fu-un.
so...sorry we weren't able to make the show Cindi. i hope we can do something soon.
well...
we didn't make it. i hate to say it, but we only have two good eyes between us. my left one is jacked and lois' right one still has oil from the retinal reattachment AND a slipped lens (which will be fixed when the oil comes out in ONE more operation - making it four). i think if we were to drive back after the show, we'd have one ourselves. the spectacle of us driving/navigating at night would be like a cross-eyed 90 year-old who needs to get to the nearest bathroom. fu-un.
so...sorry we weren't able to make the show Cindi. i hope we can do something soon.
did i mention...
that this freaking ailment is getting expensive?!? granted, i won't have to contend with an operation that would run in the thousands, but still... it adds up.
lessee here...
visit to optometrist $149
two visits to corneal specialist $173
two upcoming visits $126
generic pred forte eye drops $44 (15 ml.)
atropine to dilate pupils $14 (5 ml.)
medro steroid pack $17 (21 pills)
prednisone prescrip. $16 (at least there's 100 tabs)
and the kicker...
blood drawn for 7 separate diagnostic tests $442...gee, i didn't know that two ounces of my blood were worth so much.
i swear, if i see one of those 'priceless' mastercard commercials, it'll cost even more because the TV will have my foot through it.
fuck...it...all
okay, i feel better now.
btw, i've blown $981 so far. it'd be more if the generous eye tech at the office didn't slip me 'real' pred forte sample bottles, which saves me $77 a pop!!!
god, i gotta get a job with benefits. i'm getting too old to pay this kinda shit.
but hey, it IS my eye; i think my vision is worth way more than my $221/oz. blood.
oh yeah, after getting stuck twice on my right arm (thankfully no bruising), i have come to find out that my best blood drawing vein is, in fact, my left hand - IT CRANKS IT OUT.
"Houston, we have a gusher."
lessee here...
visit to optometrist $149
two visits to corneal specialist $173
two upcoming visits $126
generic pred forte eye drops $44 (15 ml.)
atropine to dilate pupils $14 (5 ml.)
medro steroid pack $17 (21 pills)
prednisone prescrip. $16 (at least there's 100 tabs)
and the kicker...
blood drawn for 7 separate diagnostic tests $442...gee, i didn't know that two ounces of my blood were worth so much.
i swear, if i see one of those 'priceless' mastercard commercials, it'll cost even more because the TV will have my foot through it.
fuck...it...all
okay, i feel better now.
btw, i've blown $981 so far. it'd be more if the generous eye tech at the office didn't slip me 'real' pred forte sample bottles, which saves me $77 a pop!!!
god, i gotta get a job with benefits. i'm getting too old to pay this kinda shit.
but hey, it IS my eye; i think my vision is worth way more than my $221/oz. blood.
oh yeah, after getting stuck twice on my right arm (thankfully no bruising), i have come to find out that my best blood drawing vein is, in fact, my left hand - IT CRANKS IT OUT.
"Houston, we have a gusher."
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
he's on the juice...
yep. BALCO may just come after me with this confession. i have willingly used steroids the past week...and may remain on them for a few more.
about two and a half weeks ago, i experienced some fuzziness in my vision - like looking through a piece of artist's tracing paper. it was weird. other than shitty vision in the first place, i'd never had this weird sensation; it scared me.
at first, i attributed my sudden deterioration in vision to abuse of my soft contact lenses. after 18 years of wearing them, i was bound to fuck up and neglect 'em. yeah, real bright, eh? so i vainly tried to baby my eyes, making sure they were well irrigated and free from any foreign objects/deposits/etc.
and after a week, my vision was improving and clearing up.
that is, until the saturday before memorial day. something happened that night to cause the fogginess to pretty much triple. instead of looking through tracing paper, it was like looking through wax paper - yikes.
of course, i finally wised up and saw my optometrist this past tuesday. i didn't 'see the light' though, because i probably should have gone and seen him RIGHT when it happened.
the initial diagnosis? a massive detached retina. yeah...i was totally scared shitless because lois is still recovering from her three retinal surgeries that she endured in february. in fact, she won't know if she's in the clear until late June. i was so stunned that i didn't break down until we got in the car to see a retinal specialist. i wondered why he kept asking me about a head injury in the past two weeks.
when we arrived at the retinal specialist, his assistant was getting me a slot for surgery the next day. that five minutes seemed like an eternity, we just sat there in a stupor. got the paperwork done...the examination...and the next day's plan. even though i was terrified, having taken lois to her three surgeries prepared me for what was looming. my main problem was how i was going to cope if i had a non-repairable ruptured retina.
during the evaluation with the doctor, i was tense but trying to stay positive without cracking. i guess it's like shitting yer pants and trying not to notice the smell...
anyway, his diagnosis was much more comforting. with the ultrasound, he showed me that my retina was completely fine. however, he called my condition a 'rip roaring' inflammation. in fact, i have 'uveitis.' basically, my entire eye is swollen. luckily, the mis-diagnosis of the detached retina gave way to canceling the eye surgery...whew. still, uveitis is not something to be taken lightly; supposedly it's the third leading cause of blindness - great.
anyway, the retinal specialist prescribed some drops and referred me to a corneal specialist, who sees more cases like mine. i've already seen him (only in my right eye - ha!) twice and have at least two more visits.
so...my days have been filled with Pred Forte, which are an ophthamic steroid drops, applied every hour i'm awake during the day...Atropine, a pupil dilator...and now Prednisone, an oral steroid which is supposed to relieve the interior eye cloudiness. sigh.
it really sucks to be completely dilated in the left eye for the entire day...every day. my brain still wants the eye to focus and the pupil to contract when it encounters bright light; driving is such an adventure.
later this week, i'm supposed to get some tests that the doc recommended. they include: chest x-rays (for possible TB), a sacroiliac x-ray (for ankylosing spondylitis), six blood tests, and a skin test. it's hard not to be discouraged...and i haven't even gotten the damn tests yet!
ah well. perhaps it was time for something 'exciting' to happen in my life. i guess almost getting abducted in Mexico...or a spider bite that affected me for 10+ years...or the hundreds of mosquito and sand flea bites...or the mummy dust that will just make you barf...or the labyrinthitis that put me down for almost three months, were mere spit in the ocean compared to this eye affliction.
it's funny because all those tests will probably come up negative. what really sticks in my mind though is the reappearing of the phrase "autoimmune disease." sure, i don't have AIDS, but i never thought of those damn bites when i got 'em. i'm just wondering if my body chemistry got all whacked out between 1991 and 2001, when i was out of the country a total of 18 times...
god, i'm truly scared about the outcome. vision is probably the most important sense to have. you never appreciate what you have until it's gone...sigh. i want to be so positive but the uncertainty of permanent vision loss lurks in the shadows, like some pernicious joke.
no self-pity here...i'm just anxious and scared...and i guess i just need to get this off my chest. let's hope this little posting is that cathartic purge that will get that crap outta my left eye...
isn't it crazy though? all i wanted to hear the optometrist say was, "Don't wear your contacts for a month and take better care of them." HA-FUCKIN'-HA!
don't worry though, there'll be more promising news in my next post :) even if i hafta lie...
about two and a half weeks ago, i experienced some fuzziness in my vision - like looking through a piece of artist's tracing paper. it was weird. other than shitty vision in the first place, i'd never had this weird sensation; it scared me.
at first, i attributed my sudden deterioration in vision to abuse of my soft contact lenses. after 18 years of wearing them, i was bound to fuck up and neglect 'em. yeah, real bright, eh? so i vainly tried to baby my eyes, making sure they were well irrigated and free from any foreign objects/deposits/etc.
and after a week, my vision was improving and clearing up.
that is, until the saturday before memorial day. something happened that night to cause the fogginess to pretty much triple. instead of looking through tracing paper, it was like looking through wax paper - yikes.
of course, i finally wised up and saw my optometrist this past tuesday. i didn't 'see the light' though, because i probably should have gone and seen him RIGHT when it happened.
the initial diagnosis? a massive detached retina. yeah...i was totally scared shitless because lois is still recovering from her three retinal surgeries that she endured in february. in fact, she won't know if she's in the clear until late June. i was so stunned that i didn't break down until we got in the car to see a retinal specialist. i wondered why he kept asking me about a head injury in the past two weeks.
when we arrived at the retinal specialist, his assistant was getting me a slot for surgery the next day. that five minutes seemed like an eternity, we just sat there in a stupor. got the paperwork done...the examination...and the next day's plan. even though i was terrified, having taken lois to her three surgeries prepared me for what was looming. my main problem was how i was going to cope if i had a non-repairable ruptured retina.
during the evaluation with the doctor, i was tense but trying to stay positive without cracking. i guess it's like shitting yer pants and trying not to notice the smell...
anyway, his diagnosis was much more comforting. with the ultrasound, he showed me that my retina was completely fine. however, he called my condition a 'rip roaring' inflammation. in fact, i have 'uveitis.' basically, my entire eye is swollen. luckily, the mis-diagnosis of the detached retina gave way to canceling the eye surgery...whew. still, uveitis is not something to be taken lightly; supposedly it's the third leading cause of blindness - great.
anyway, the retinal specialist prescribed some drops and referred me to a corneal specialist, who sees more cases like mine. i've already seen him (only in my right eye - ha!) twice and have at least two more visits.
so...my days have been filled with Pred Forte, which are an ophthamic steroid drops, applied every hour i'm awake during the day...Atropine, a pupil dilator...and now Prednisone, an oral steroid which is supposed to relieve the interior eye cloudiness. sigh.
it really sucks to be completely dilated in the left eye for the entire day...every day. my brain still wants the eye to focus and the pupil to contract when it encounters bright light; driving is such an adventure.
later this week, i'm supposed to get some tests that the doc recommended. they include: chest x-rays (for possible TB), a sacroiliac x-ray (for ankylosing spondylitis), six blood tests, and a skin test. it's hard not to be discouraged...and i haven't even gotten the damn tests yet!
ah well. perhaps it was time for something 'exciting' to happen in my life. i guess almost getting abducted in Mexico...or a spider bite that affected me for 10+ years...or the hundreds of mosquito and sand flea bites...or the mummy dust that will just make you barf...or the labyrinthitis that put me down for almost three months, were mere spit in the ocean compared to this eye affliction.
it's funny because all those tests will probably come up negative. what really sticks in my mind though is the reappearing of the phrase "autoimmune disease." sure, i don't have AIDS, but i never thought of those damn bites when i got 'em. i'm just wondering if my body chemistry got all whacked out between 1991 and 2001, when i was out of the country a total of 18 times...
god, i'm truly scared about the outcome. vision is probably the most important sense to have. you never appreciate what you have until it's gone...sigh. i want to be so positive but the uncertainty of permanent vision loss lurks in the shadows, like some pernicious joke.
no self-pity here...i'm just anxious and scared...and i guess i just need to get this off my chest. let's hope this little posting is that cathartic purge that will get that crap outta my left eye...
isn't it crazy though? all i wanted to hear the optometrist say was, "Don't wear your contacts for a month and take better care of them." HA-FUCKIN'-HA!
don't worry though, there'll be more promising news in my next post :) even if i hafta lie...
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