AUG 31 :: [politics] My last post of the month and possibly the summer. Labor Day and the Virgin Islands beckon. The sleepy month of August is now over and the craziness of the fall election campaign begins.
And this is where I go on my rampage. The Republican National Convention in NYC. The politics of fear and division are on full display. Disgust is in abundance supply as the Republicans wrap themselves around a flag and a tragedy that cost the nation 3,000 lives. Instead of honoring the dead, they are using their names to win the next election. Since when did it become acceptable in the eyes of civilized society that a tragey can be used for political purposes?
The politics of division rings resoundingly clear in the Republican platform. Particularly and one close to my heart: the Federal Marriage Amendment. Enshrining discrimination in the Constitution as a party platform is emblematic of a tyrannical political party. Adopting discrimination as a party platform no longer makes the Republican a party of a few evangelists with radical agendas, it makes it a christian fundamentalist party that will stop at nothing to take away rights of people who they hate because it's what the Bible or God tells them to do. This party's evangelical and biblical visions of Western civilization borrows a chapter from Islamo-fundamentalist ideals in its hatred of Western modernity and progress. Nothing sounds less like freedom to me.
The politics of fear is about proclaiming your party the savior of the world and public enemy number one of the bad guys. The politics of fear is about winning elections by scaring the bejesus out of the voting public so that they believe that there's only one way of staying safe and that's to kill them all and bomb away terror. The politics of fear is to use a tragedy like 9/11 and claim it as your tragedy and nobody else's and that only you can be trusted as the party to prevent a recurrence of such.
The politics of fear compels the oversimplification of ideas that divides the world into good people and bad people and leads (or misleads) to disastrous, unnecessary wars like the invasion on Iraq. This attitude is contemptuous, misinformed and dangerous. The politics of fear leads to policies that perpetuate Islamic terror instead of cutting it off at its roots. The war on Iraq and the continued tolerance of Israel's destruction of Palestinian society - these are the pillars of unprecedented anger amongst people of Islamic faith and their hatred for American policies, not America itself. At the heart of America's failure lies this Administration's refusal to recognize that the contemporary roots of Islamic terror are to be found in American policies, not the American people. The politics of fear blurs this distinction by convincing the American public that we are good, they are evil and they need to be destroyed.
Truth and integrity are the pillars of our democracy. Deception and lies are the beginning of the end. If for nothing else, the war in Iraq should be the singular reason to vote out this Administration. Iraqi cities have been subjected to bombardment, the social and economic infrastructure destroyed and innocent civilians including women and children killed in thousands. The historical graveyard and Imam Ali's shrine in Najaf have been desecrated by foreign troops. Close to one thousand caskets of American soldiers have been flown home since the war began as we wake up to the fact that there is no Coalition of the Willing, only the Consensus of One Man. And all this for what? Why did we unleash our powerful and destructive military force on a defenseless nation instead of al-Qaeda, the perpetrators of 9/11? The lack of accountability is outrageous.
The world of the 21st century desperately needs the democratic values enshrined in the Constitution of the US, as well as its wealth, organizational skills and scientific and technical brilliance. But until America learns to partner with its fellow-nations, and sheds the habit of coercion and military adventure, America remains a deadly threat to the global community.
No one questions that America stands for democracy. But the price of democracy must not be the division of our nation. The price of democracy must not be constant fear. The price of democracy must not be the devaluation of our strongest currency - freedom - in the name of safety and security. We must not lose faith in our democratic system in order to achieve a short-term goal of re-election.
So here's what I have to say to the Republicans gathered in NYC: You don't own the truth. You don't own character and integrity and morality. You don't own 9/11. You don't own the war on terror. You don't own God. And you don't own freedom. Shame on you for even trying.
Before I forget, Happy 47th Birthday, Malaysia!
AUG 30 :: [threesome] Frances, Gaston and Hermine have all decided to get-together and fuck... the East Coast, that is. What a menacing threesome. Tropical Storm Gaston, which a few days ago surfaced overnight off SC, lashes into DC today followed by Tropical Storm Hermine, lurking off the NC coast stirring up rough seas and surf all along the Eastern Seaboard. And finally, the most powerful (Cat 4) hurricane yet this season, Hurricane Frances is moving very slowly along the northern part of the Leeward Islands headed towards the South-Eastern coast of the US. By Thursday, it would be between us and our destination, the US Virgin Islands. Let's hope our flight to St Thomas can circumvent the hurricane. I'm just happy that the hurricane would've left the USVI area by Thursday when we get there. I'm looking forward to a great Labor Day weekend in the Caribbean!
[triumphant] Last night's closing ceremonies was the glorious climax to Greece's reunion with history, ending two weeks of the best showcase of Greek culture and global sportsmanship. The Olympic Games ended triumphantly with a brilliant display of dancing, Greek culture, and fireworks. I *loved* the dancing and rhythmic clapping. They were high-energy and very exciting. What a fitting tribute to the fun-loving side of the Greek people. From Olympia to Athens to Marathon, Greece rose to the occasion defying all doubts and hosted an "unforgettable, dream Games".
Again, the startling thing about the gathering of nations at an event like the Olympics is not how different we all are, but how similar. These Olympic Games and the many that preceded it plus the many that haven't been hosted yet will forever be an inspiration for all humankind, embodying the highest ideals of what mankind can achieve when we unite and aim faster, higher and stronger. The progress of humankind leaps forward with every Olympiad.
It's quite sad that the Olympics are over. It's so wonderful to see the world uniting in competition in the sports arena, and not the battlefield. In a world where people regularly kill each other for power and wealth, 10,500 athletes from 202 countries managed to gather in one place and compete in a spirit of peace and friendliness. It's something worth celebrating. Now more than ever, the symbolic nature of global institutions like the Olympics is stronger than ever. What a glorious celebration of humankind.
Anywho, China's introduction to the next Olympics in Beijing was quite spectacular. Then again, I'm biased :) The classical dances, beautiful Chinese music and red lanterns were quite a good introduction to China's amazing 5000yr old culture. Beijing in four years!
AUG 29 :: [summer's last gasp] So this weekend was the last weekend of summer. Well, the last one before the Labor Day weekend which officially closes out summer. It was pretty hot and humid but nothing too unbearable. Friday was a series of bars - JR's, Halo, Cobalt... with dinner at Rice squeezed in between. Halo is quite a fun little non-smoking bar with killer strong drinks at equally killer prices. But the crowd was beautiful and the bar is well-lit (albeit a little too well-lit). If only it weren't so far away. Anywho, Saturday is our usual yoga day followed by our yoga instructor's 30th birthday at Blue Room in Adams Morgan and a totally fetch dinner party at Mike/Gary's after. There were 11 of us there and it was buffet style which was quite informal and very refreshing. We stayed up drinking till 2! Today was Kenney's last day in DC so we had brunch at Dupont Grille before his departure to SD. Then we stayed home and watched the closing ceremonies. Another crazy workweek begins tomorrow but it'll be a short one since I leave on Thursday to the wonderful beaches of the Caribbean!
[four more months] That's the countdown towards the end of the most hateful, disastrous and destructive Administration in our livetimes. And hundreds of thousands turned out today in NYC to greet the Republican delegates and to protest against Bush's failed four years in power.
And this Administration's failures look even worse when compared to the glorious Olympics that just ended. The Olympic Games celebrates, at a time when it means so much more, humanity's highest aspirations, the universal quest for peace and the exalted qualities of body, mind and spirit that transcend cultures. In stark contrast, the Bush Administration aims its policies towards dividing the world, and towards war and violence as opposed to peace and justice. They are policies of fear and despair, not hope and a brighter future. They are policies of division and hate, not unity and peace. It's a stunningly disgraceful legacy, one that will hopefully end in four more months.
We are a united people. And we stand united against this Administration. You are not alone as witnessed by the protesters in NYC. Only four more months to go.
AUG 26 :: [$965,000] Yes, that's how much our neighbors five doors down sold their house for. That's close to $400/sq ft! Amazing isn't it? Who would've thought prices could go up any higher from the winter of 2000 when we moved in to DC. Back then, the guy who did a complete renovation of our house also did the same (albeit with slight differences) renovations on our neighbors down the street. So the houses are basically identical and $965k is a HUGE number! Awesome. Then again, luxury condos with heaps of amenities have been going for in excess of $500/sq ft in recent months. Can you imagine if the house was valued that high?! Will the house one day be worth as much as a brownstone in Greenwich Village? Stay tuned ;)
Dinner with our financial advisors was quite a riot. Take them out of their stodgy ML offices and boy can they be wild :) Anywho, dinner was wonderful as usual. Tony made a shrimp salad with tangy orange sauce and then veal marsala with yummy pesto pasta, finally ending with my favorite dessert - chocolate souffle. Dinner the next night at Chris/Dave's was equally good. But the highlight of the evening was Kenney proposing to Geneva! I cried... What a happy moment :)
Taking a breather tonight, thank God. Was actually supposed to hang out with Rick but I don't think I can spend yet another night out at the bars. Ooh, and they caught the guy who killed the waiter on 18th/R. I hope they put him behind bars for the rest of his life.
We leave next Thurs for the US Virgin Islands. Our departure is very hopeful due to Hurricane Frances bearing down on the Caribbean. Hopefully the weather will be nice and the waters will be crystal blue. We get back on Labor Day and the weekend after that is Tony's birthday bash on our deck (yes the evite is out; didn't you get it? :p). It's a Sunday BBQ with lots of booze and tons of food. And summer rolls into September with more parties, woo!
AUG 24 :: [ugh] That's how I feel right now. Ugh. Today has just started out crazy and it's getting crazier. This is no fun.
My weekend was fabulous. We yoga-ed on Saturday and went to Kevin/Dan's fabulous party. All was raucous and naughty as usual (two words: "inner thighs"). Chrissy Gephardt was in attendance (giggle) but she was just one of many fun people that night. I didn't stay out too late (maybe 3?) and didn't get too wasted (uh-huh, yea OK). The next day we had dim sum at Bailey's Crossroads. Some new place that had excellent har gow. After that we went shopping for a pressure cooker. Then we came home and went to Whole Foods to get groceries and on the way back, we run into John/John, our neighbors. So off we go to Halo which is a really cool smoke-free bar with cute bartenders that serve great drinks. How fetch. Then Rick calls and we end up at JR's... again. Sunday night at JR's is totally raucous though. I stumbled home at like 9:30pm.
And last night, after a not-so-crazy day at work, I was at JR's again with Rick and Rob and had an amazing time. Rob leaves for Europe to join Mikko on Thurs and Rick is off to the RNC (yuck) in NYC this Sunday. M2 was there and he looked skinny (more than usual) and tired. Hmm, I wonder what's up :) Anywho, there ya have it - my four back-to-back days of partying with no end in sight. Dinner parties tonight and tomorrow. Will the fun never end? :) Well, I guess it does when I get to work everyday!
On a heavier note, one of the waiters at Annie's was killed in a robbery on 18th and R (!!) on Sunday night. It's quite jarring since I walk that route home everytime I go to Annie's. I guess I'll have to find another more well-lit route home. And to think I walked home by myself from JR's on Sunday night. Maybe I should cab in the future. Or just find a companion to walk home with. Oh well. Life's too short to make like a hermit and worry all the time.
AUG 21 :: [just coz] Yea, I'm blogging today just coz I can :p. Yesterday was a VERY busy day at work, setting myself up for an even busier week ahead. I doubt I'll be able to write about it or breathe, even! That aside, I got my car back but $700 poorer. I still can't believe it cost me $500 to replace the rear PLASTIC window. BMW parts are a rip-off.
So, what else... last night was a fun-filled night at Dupont Grille with Tom/Gen and Rob complete with (almost) an entire bottle of 150th Anniversary Grand Marnier. There was a misprint in the price ($8 instead of $25 per glass) so we greedily ordered 3 glasses but then Steve (F&B Director) brought out FIVE more glasses so yea, we got pretty toasted but oh, what a night! Chuck is in town (yay!) and all this leading up to tonight's big birthday bash at Kevin/Dan's (Kevin turns 29 which means gurl is getting old! *grin*). Yoga today kicked my ass. The humidity and the wet weather made it difficult to get going but I'm just making excuses for expending extra energy in perfecting my poses (whatever).
Drama: The Olympic Games are awesome as usual. Michael Phelps won his eighth medal yesterday (6 of them gold) and becomes the most decorated athlete at a single Olympic Games in non-boycotted history! Quite historic and amazing. Lots of weird protests and judging errors but nothing takes away from the Olympic spirit. Swimming has now ended (pout) and Athletics takes center stage (yawn). The drama continues.
Ooh, more drama. Rick's car was booted and towed to NE yesterday so I drove his sorry white ass all the way out NY Ave (on a Fri evening!!) which was quite a bitch and things got worse when I got lost in NE! Quite dodgy, I might add. HUGE drama... apparently a celebrity will be coming with Rick to tonight's party. Who, you ask? Stay tuned!
AUG 19 :: [awesome gymnastics!] Wow. Paul Hamm was AMAZING last night. What an amazing comeback. The back-to-back 9.837 scores were unbelievable but watching his routine, it was deservedly so. And then just now, Carly Patterson won the women's all-around title. (I'm such a slacker... I'm watching the live scores online and my manager catches me doing it! giggle) Talk about making up for the team disappointments earlier this week. 2 individual all-around golds and 2 team silvers. That's an amazing achievement.
Michael Phelps is now up to 4 golds and 6 total medals with 2 events to go. He is quite the swimming machine! These Olympics are shaping up to be quite eventful.
Car is in the shop. Work's done. It's costing me a fortune but all I care about is a new rear window (the old one was pretty scratched up). Yay! OK, back to work... I've got crazy deadlines.
AUG 18 :: [1,611 years] Here's a little Olympic trivia: Today, athletes competed at the Ancient Stadium at Olympia for the first time in 1,611 years... !!! The Olympic Games were born at Olympia 2,780 years ago. The events contested today were men's and women's shot put and the fact that women were competing was history in itself. Also, the fact that they were all clothed was also notable.
Gymnastics and Swimming continue to be my sports of choice. Michael Phelps and Ian Thorpe are amazing to watch. And the US Gymnastics team is looking pretty good so far. Still, the excitement of watching is tempered by my impatience in finding out the results beforehand. Grin.
So my car goes into the shop tomorrow. Pout. Nothing major. Just close to SEVEN hundred dollars worth of convertible top parts. Man, I tell ya... BMW parts are flipping expensive ($310 for the rear plastic window?? Gimme a break...). Last night's dinner at The Regent (Thai food, weird name) with Carlos, Rob, Dave/Chris was fabulous. Could be a contender to Rice, my current favorite Thai joint in the city. Not much else is new. Like I've said before, August is a really slow month (which is great for traffic!) and work is busy as ever. I'm also blogging less... Just chillin' :)
AUG 16 :: [games fever] A good quote about battles in sports, not wars:
"Even with all the bluster and bloat -- beginning with the strains of the 'Jurassic Park' theme that opened NBC's coverage -- the Games themselves remain hard to screw up, fueled by the noble ideal of seeing the world compete in sporting arenas, not on battlefields." - Brian Lowry from Daily Variety
And this one made me giggle:
"Welcome to Greece. Home of Eros, the God of Love; Zeus, the God of the Heavens; Visa, the God of Debt; and Nike, the God of Shoes We Want." - Paul Brownfield from LA Times
The Olympic Games are great! I've been glued to the TV everyday watching the highs and lows. My favorites are Diving (d'oh, love the skimpy suits), Gymnastics and Swimming so far. China and Australia are doing pretty good. The US team has had plenty of disappointments but hopefully things will start looking up. The Basketball team is a disgrace though which is in stark contrast to the delight of watching Michael Phelps. Watching the delayed telecast on NBC every night is pretty anti-climactic since I already know the results beforehand (umm, nbcolympics.com... I am WAY too impatient to wait).
Ho hum. Work is très busy as usual. Weekend was pretty quiet. I stayed home all day Saturday coz it was pissy and rainy outside (Charley was a snoozer). Sunday started off with the farmer's market (fruits!), shopping at Sephora, yoga, and ending the weekend at, where else, JR's with Rick and Rob. Dinner at Mercury Grill was delicious. Quite relaxing, actually, and almost as sleepy as any lazy summer weekend in August.
AUG 14 :: [eyes on athens] I *LOVE* the Olympic Games. Coming from a relatively small country like Malaysia, the Olympics is the closest thing to a truly global celebration. And this year, the celebration descends on Athens, Greece. Watching the Parade of Nations last night, I am reminded every 4 years that we are all the same; differing ever so slightly but at the end of the day, we are all humans. The concept of peace and truce in this most competitive of global sports event is truly inspirational. It made me sad to see what wars are doing to our fellow mankind.
As much as I am an optimist, I am a realist too. The Opening Ceremony last night looked so perfect and harmonious only because unprecedented amounts of money were spent on security to keep it safe. We do live in a dangerous world. But if we don't hold to the ideals that we are all one and that we all deserve peace more than we do war, then there's really nothing to fight for.
Nonetheless, the Ceremony yesterday was awe-inspiring. All doubts about Greece's readiness for this enormous sporting event were cast aside. The torch/cauldron thing was pretty cool. So were the pomp and circumstance surrounding the hymns and flags and the parade and the voices of the little children. I thought the flashbacks to the previous Olympic hosts complete with stumbles and stops for the World Wars was very moving; sending an unmistakable signal that wars are never seen as anything but sad blips in human history.
BTW, the Stadium was BEAUTIFUL. The water in the middle thing was très cool. The choreography was simple yet elegant. And the fireworks were awesome. What a grand night. And yes, I missed the whole telecast (I watched it on TiVo this morning) coz I was in JR's with Rick, Rob/Mikko, Chris/Dave pretty much all night with dinner at Bistro du Coin (mmmm, mussels) in between. Giggle. Oh well, the devastation of Hurricane Charley continues as it bears down on us later this evening. Hunker down!
AUG 12 :: [yikes] Talk about another news overload day. The biggest was Governor McGreevey's (NJ) admission to an extramarital affair... with a man! He will resign in 4 months and since NJ has no Lt. Governor, the State Senate President (also a Democrat) will take over. Wow. The CA Supreme Court expectedly voided the close to 4,000 same-sex marriages performed in SF in Feb/Mar. Now the battle is for the constitutionality of CA's marriage law and hopefully, our side will prevail for the sake of justice and equality.
Meanwhile, Florida is evacuating. TS Bonnie blew ashore this afternoon and Hurricane Charley is not far behind. They're saying maybe a Cat 3 by the time it hits the Keys en route to Tampa Bay area. This is not good. On the homefront, Bonnie's affects are beginning to rain down on the DC area and the worse (Charley) is yet to come. Flooding is gonna be widespread and the weekend will most certainly be washed out. Ugh.
Oil prices zoomed to another new all-time high of $45.50/barrel. The Dow, Nasdaq and S&P 500 all sank to their lowest levels this year weighed down by interest rate hikes and high oil prices. And tomorrow marks the beginning of the Athens 2004 Games of the 28th Olympiad.
With all this going on, there's nothing much worth writing about in my life! Indeed, it's been quite an unusually turbulent start to a usually slow month.
AUG 11 :: [stirring] The atmosphere is stirring things up! Bonnie and Charley are headed to Florida - yikes! talk about double-whammy. Bonnie might even crawl up to our area by Saturday. Eek, no fun. Isn't it bizarre that the first three named storms of the year have all hit the United States? Does anyone remember Alex? It barely brushed the Outer Banks in NC. That's Andrew's replacement, btw. They recycle names every 12 years and discard the names of hurricanes that may invoke traumatic memories. Ooh, trivia :)
The Feds are also stirring things up (i.e. kicking my ass on mortgage payments) by raising rates by 0.25% to 1.5% (ugh). Meanwhile, work is stirring things up by throwing me head-first into this crazy project which is like way intense so no more work-from-home-Wednesdays for me :(. And the biggest stir of all this month of August where practically nobody is working or governing - the 2004 Olympics in Athens! It's quite exciting but quite a big yawn at the same time. Most people are already looking past Athens 2004 to Beijing 2008 where the market for everything Olympic-related will be the largest its ever been. In any case, I'm planting my yellow ass at home this Friday night to watch the Opening Ceremony in Athens; or I might just TiVo it and go out like I always do *grin*
[failed policies] From the Washington Post article "Tax Cuts Become A Juicier Target" today:
"The economy has 1.1 million fewer jobs than the day Bush took office, making it more than likely he will join Herbert Hoover as the second president to see the nation suffer a net job loss on his watch. The economy is 7 million jobs short of the level the White House had predicted when trying to sell the tax cuts. And a 10-year budget outlook that in 2001 projected $5.6 trillion in surpluses now foresees $2.7 trillion in deficits, an unprecedented fiscal swing."
Tax cuts that did not cure the underlying weakness of our economy but instead put us on a fiscally disastrous course towards a horrendous long-term deficit problem. That my friend, is the reason why Bush has failed America.
AUG 9 :: [gorgeous weather] Finally, some downtime. Had PF Chang's for lunch, yum. So this weekend was glorious for one reason alone - the weather! 70s under crystal blue skies and a slight breeze. Absolutely perfect and very unusual for August. Tom's birthday party on Fri night was sandwiched by TWO trips to JR's. Needless to say, the vodka-champagne-vodka switcheroo gave me a hangover the next day. But that didn't stop me from yoga-ing on Saturday, laying out in the Circle and then going to Rob/Mikko's for a dinner party. Of course, the food was fabulous as usual but the post-party combo of JR's (again!) and Noche del Fuego was killer! It was also Brett's last evening out in DC before going back to KU (poor baby).
Noche del Fuego was super-fun. It was held in the basement (no, not seedy at all) of Tequila Grill on 20th/K. We walked in and everything was in Spanish and I mean everything - the drag MC, the songs (Hispanic pop) and the only English I heard that night was Christina Aguilera and even then her song was played in Spanish. I felt like I had descended into Yes, so count 'em... FIVE trips to JR's this weekend. I practically live there, own some stock, and have a share on one of the bar stools. Monday blues are settling in...
AUG 6 :: [busy] I'm actually busy at work, for once! Working on this proposal that involves the FCO in UK (don't know what that is? don't worry, I don't either). Also, it's hard to write when I don't have SSH access - I left my SecurID token in Reston. OK, plain English - I don't have encrypted access to update my website :)
Tom's birthday party tonight (he's... 31?). Not much going on otherwise. Busy at work, tired at home. Weekend's almost here and record low temperatures are in store? It's been a little on the chilly side today and more so tonight. This has been a crazy summer. Crazy hot in May, rainy in June and July, and cold in August! OK, back to work... AUG 4 :: [the boss] The Boss (Bruce Springsteen) writes in today's NYT under "Chords for Change":
"Why is it that the wealthiest nation in the world finds it so hard to keep its promise and faith with its weakest citizens? Why do we continue to find it so difficult to see beyond the veil of race? How do we conduct ourselves during difficult times without killing the things we hold dear? Why does the fulfillment of our promise as a people always seem to be just within grasp yet forever out of reach?"
"Like many others, in the aftermath of 9/11, I felt the country's unity. I don't remember anything quite like it. I supported the decision to enter Afghanistan and I hoped that the seriousness of the times would bring forth strength, humility and wisdom in our leaders. Instead, we dived headlong into an unnecessary war in Iraq, offering up the lives of our young men and women under circumstances that are now discredited. We ran record deficits, while simultaneously cutting and squeezing services like afterschool programs. We granted tax cuts to the richest 1 percent (corporate bigwigs, well-to-do guitar players), increasing the division of wealth that threatens to destroy our social contract with one another and render mute the promise of "one nation indivisible.""
"It is through the truthful exercising of the best of human qualities - respect for others, honesty about ourselves, faith in our ideals - that we come to life in God's eyes. It is how our soul, as a nation and as individuals, is revealed. Our American government has strayed too far from American values. It is time to move forward. The country we carry in our hearts is waiting."
"The country we carry in our hearts is waiting." It's the promise of a better America and a better future. The end to social intolerance, the end to policies that divide, and the end to destructive wars. Vote for Change.
[110/78] Yup, that's right. I am no longer hypertensive. It's amazing what one little pill can do (BTW, the Lisinopril dosage was 10mg, not 30mg... d'oh). My doctor about fell off the chair when he took my blood pressure reading. He had to take it again to make sure and sure enough, it was 110/78! He said that it's amazing that I responded to the first drug he prescribed and I responded so well to such a small dosage (smallest he's ever given out). I thought about cutting the pill into half now that it's so effective but I'm gonna stick with it for 6 more months until my next appointment before I do something like that.
Speaking of my next appointment, it's gonna be *drumroll* a full physical evaluation... GROAN. I hate those. Not that I've ever had one before but I still hate them. It's so... invasive ;) Dr Harry joked that he promised to keep both hands on my shoulder during my rectal exam. 1, 2, 3... *LOL* Yea, he's funny that way. I love my doctor.
So, I guess the lesson from this is - get your blood pressure examined! I don't feel any different now than when I was hypertensive. High blood pressure is THE silent killer. One can never tell. I'm glad I had this taken care of now rather than battle the effects of multiple years of cumulative hypertension when I'm in my 40s and 50s. From what I understand, it'll make a HUGE difference when I'm older.
I'm ready for a hearty steak lunch with lots of butter and a margarita to celebrate! *grin*
[116/58] On another note, my total cholesterol is borderline high. It's 211 mg/dL, I think. However, my good cholesterol (HDL) is 58 mg/dL and my bad cholesterol (LDL) is 116 mg/dL. The good level is VERY good (apparently) since anything above 40 is good but my bad is OK but needs to be watched (below 100 is optimal). Going above 129 on LDLs is considered borderline high so I'm not there yet! Phew. No need to get on a pill. So less red meat, more chicken and fish, blah blah blah. This whole cholesterol/blood pressure thing SUCKS!
AUG 3 :: [no more flying!] After three back-to-back weekends away from DC, it's safe to say I am DONE with the flying. Although, the RJ flight to KC was not as bad as I thought it would be. The Embraer 170 is surprisingly comfortable and roomy (notwithstanding the fact I got hit in the head with a rollerboard on my way there and on the way back, we had to put our luggage in bins that were a few rows back - hate it when that happens).
So the family reunion went alright. KC is, well, the same old uninspiring place as it has always been. The airport is located in Nebraska, practically. The sprawl is staggering in this Plains city and downtown is like a ghost town during the weekends. We never left our safe confines of the community where Tony's mom/stepdad live except for one dinner at Lidia's on Sunday night which was quite good (although the portions were humongous).
Basically, everyone showed up. Aunts/Uncles, cousins, nephews/nieces, the whole kit and caboodle.
We were "imprisoned" in the clubhouse all day Saturday in an effort of forced bonding (grin) and Sunday started off with a church service followed by pool time. I think everybody was pretty glad it was over when the time came :) Most people were basically cordial to each other but nothing more. It was like a room full of strangers forced to co-mingle for a day and a half and not a minute longer. Fun. The kids were fun, actually. And that's about it. We spent an entire day watching the kids do kid stuff and without them, I think we would all have been bored to tears.
And the whole churchy, preachy thing was a little OTT, if I may say so myself (no booze at a family reunion?? gimme a break...). But we survived. Or rather, *I* survived. The weather was also nice and cooperative.
I'm tired. I need rest. I haven't been sleeping well (dunno why) and I have a follow-up doctor's appointment tomorrow to determine if these silly blood pressure pills work. Groan. August is (hopefully) going to be a quiet month. Our next travels will take us to the Caribbean (yay!) for Labor Day so I have lots of time to rest between now and then!
31 :: politics
30 :: threesome
30 :: triumphant
29 :: summer's last gasp
29 :: four more months
26 :: $965,000
24 :: ugh
21 :: just coz
19 :: awesome gymnastics!
18 :: 1,611 years
16 :: games fever
14 :: eyes on athens
12 :: yikes
11 :: stirring
11 :: failed policies
09 :: gorgeous weather
06 :: busy
04 :: the boss
04 :: 110/78
04 :: 116/58
03 :: no more flying!