Weights
…work out. And an easy class, too. Then eat lots of food.
Words
I wish I could say I used last night’s solo opportunity to write, but except for reading through the latest Writer’s Digest, I can’t do so without lying (much). Instead, I….
Whatever
…watched the two-hour Alien Planet on the Discovery Channel. I now want the DVD.
Words
No progress. Guests (see Whatever).
Weights
My new “soup and (power) bar” diet (with liberal amounts of appetite-suppressing caffeine were railroaded by dinner with friends (see Whatever).
Whatever
Last week we had made dinner plans with another couple, JR and EA. They had moved into the same city a couple of years ago but we had never visited each others respective dwellings or even had a meal together. We kept correspondence via e-mails, phone, and, of course, the potluck (at other couple’s homes).
But apparently that wasn’t enough for JR. Thus, I received a call last week and we scheduled to get together last Wednesday. That fell through and we rescheduled for yesterday.
The evening didn’t start pleasantly. We had issues with some of the workfolks coming to and fro our domicile that afternoon. I, especially, felt testy and let The Spouse know about it. (Very un-Asian, especially Filipino, but hey….) Then we discovered JR and EA’s residence was not in our car’s NAV system. So we resorted to the old fashion method of getting directions.
As we had suspected, their house was located close by but in one of those new (less than ten years) housing tracts where one street has three different names. But we found it and were warmly greeted by JR. EA was on the phone so we were given a tour of their five bedroom residence.
We dined at a nearby restaurant. We talked a great deal about our jobs: JR, like my spouse, is also in the medical field while EA and I work in more “traditional” offices (though EA works on a college campus and its plentiful eye-candy. Lucky.) Interestingly, we didn’t talk much about our peer group; instead, we discussed how each had met each other, having children (The Spouse and I currently have no plans; JR and EA are not ruling out the possibility), and our own parents and siblings. EA’s father, for example, is not very “touchy feely” which is diametrically opposite to JR’s personality and Filipino cultural. (Yes, we’re all interracial couples.) These, and other topics, were well punctuated with lots of laughter.
We closed out the restaurant at a quarter to eleven. We all acknowledge on our good times that night and promised another fun-filled evening soon. All R. and I could talk about was the wonderful night and the possibility of finally developing our social circle of like-minded companions.
Now I just need to introduce the idea of couple-swapping….
Words
No progress. Enough whine. Reading and writing after quality time with The Spouse tonight.
Weights
I so did not want to work out last night. I kept thinking about all the errands I had to do since my life began 35 years ago. But I decided to be selfish and devote two hours to the body: cardio followed by arse-busting weight-training. And you know what? I found religion.
Whatever
”I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in Filipinos.”
This remark, in response to my question about dating, drudge up old memories. Back in junior high, I was interested in one of my classmates, S. I vividly remember the scene: we were at her house, outside, chatting on the curb. Day was warm but not uncomfortably so with some cloud cover.
We got on the topic of dating and, as barely teens will do, discussed our friends dating lives (or lack of). Out of the blue, she looks at me and says, “I don’t believe in interracial dating.”
I felt hurt. Not devastated, but more let down than anything else. And very, very confused. I had not been aware of my ethnicity for a long time. Being very tall (at the time), awkward, and wearing glasses, yes, but not being mainstream. That remark would make me keenly aware of my hair, my skin color, and my eyes for the rest of my days.
The remark about Filipinos is not quite the same. I understand dating preferences: that person is not attracted to Asians in general. (Personally, I think it’s his loss, but that’s my opinion.) But it’s another example of how difference, and being different, has its roots in one’s path to adulthood, namely on judging what is this and that.
The Zen mind is a child’s mind, wondering and opening. Sigh. I need to do more zazen.
(Image found on the Internet and all rights belong to its owners.)
Words
Outside of my reading group’s book, I still haven’t found anything to read of interest. I have selected a historical mystery, which is a good start. But I still haven’t found a good relationship book similar to my current work-in-progress (WIP) to be inspired. Aargh!
Weights
Decided to forgo an extra hour and a half of cardio and weight-training and instead just did a hour’s worth of cardio. I think my belly’s staying flat on its own instead of me having to suck it in daily.
Whatever
R.’s having a frustrating time at work. Events seem to conspire in not only adding more work but pulling away time to the required follow up and, especially, paperwork. While I’m supportative, I’m beginning to wonder if it truly is time to start looking for new employment for the dear thing.
Words
I spent much of Saturday afternoon working on my outline. Unfortunately, it was spent in frustration as my Muse refused to give me more plot. I countered by working on the first chapter.
Weights
I originally planned to take a cardio class Saturday morn but The Spouse seduced me into staying in bed. Well, there’s always Monday….
Whatever
R. had plenty of work on Saturday but we made the best of it. We had breakfast at one of our favorite restaurants. We checked out new garage doors before driving down to look at used vehicles at the Carfaire. (I think R.'s trying to "channel" away my continued enthusiasm towards cars. Hah! That's like trying to drain a teen's sex drive.) I then brought our Accord hybrid for its latest maintenance check. (Driving 160+ miles roundtrip daily puts a lot of wear an tear on any car.)
Then I made the mistake of walking around. I saw the high end trims of the Pontiac G6 
*
and the Buick Lacrosse next to each other in the adjacent dealership.
*
Sigh.
I spent the rest of the afternoon working on my outline (see above) with less than spectacular success. We ended the evening with a late dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant (where we stocked enough leftovers for the next three days) which we walked off at the local Barnes & Noble.
Sunday we joined R.’s family for a belated Mother’s Day celebration. Afterwards, we visited the Renaissance faire where I finally reassembled my puzzle ring. Overall, a fun-filled weekend.
*(Image found on the Internet and all rights belong to its owners.)
"Only two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity... and I'm not sure about the former."
– Albert Einstein
