Fallen off the map

Yes, I am alive. Although exhausted. No excuses though. For the last two weeks I have taken a significant hiatus from my the blog world.

I am only 8 hours from leaving for Bogota, Colombia. I hope to post some of my experiences as time permits, but since I am traveling for work, continue to expect little from me.

Thanks,

- The management.

Ticket to Anywhere -- Suggestions?

A friend of mine has offered to sell me a United Airlines Worldwide Economy voucher good for anywhere that United Airlines travels direct. Co-share airline partners do me no good.

Unfortunately, it expires on December 31, 2005. So all travel must be completed by then. I am looking to travel over Christmas and to return on December 31, 2005.

My first choice was to travel to Bangkok, Thailand, but all economy flights are booked.

Any suggestions on where I can travel? Note, the flight will only cost me $250 +taxes, so it needs to be an exotic location. However, I need to be able to afford the lodging and cost of living...

Please help me.

DcLc

Can you jump my bones?

A close friend of mine is a police patrol officer in a northern Virginia jurisdiction. She works nights. She relayed the following funny story to me.

"The other night at about 3 AM, I decided to do some proactive foot patrol in a neighborhood that is known for late night drug activity. And the best place to hide my marked cruiser is in the cemetary adjacent to that neighborhood. While I was only gone for 20 minutes, my POS car battery died, leaving me stranded. Not surprised as midnights always gets the shit equipment, I hit my supervisor up on my NexTel. 'Hey Mike, I am at the cemetary. Can you come down here and jump me?'" Recognizing how funny this sounded, she admitted that she even added a bit of sultriness to her voice when she called him. What she could never timed better, was that her supervisor, in the company of another officer at a 24 hour diner, was placing his breakfast order with the waitress. My friend continued, "Poor Mike turned beat red as several patrons turned to stare at him... without loosing a beat, he told the waitress 'I will have that to go'".

Look closely, that is a playground in the background.

Loveless? I don't think so.

DcLc

Happy Birthday United States Marine Corps - Semper Fi

God bless the Marine Corps, and all those who serve so that we may continue to enjoy our liberty!

"The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps!"
- Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States, 1945

"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem."
- Ronald Reagan, President of the United States; 1985

"Retreat Hell! We're just attacking in another direction."
- Attributed to Major General Oliver P. Smith, USMC, Korea, December 1950.

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
- George Orwell

Semper Fi!

DcLc

Inner Voice - "Hit the Snooze Button Again... And Again"

In my previous posting, I mentioned that today I would describe my activities from the last weekend. I also mentioned that I would discuss the "inner voice", well, the same inner voice that I wish to describe kept telling me to go to sleep early last night so I could get a fresh start today. Early this morning, the same but louder voice kept saying "hit the snooze... hit the snoozzzzzzz". Now that I find myself in a hurry to post something to keep this blog fresh, I give you the last of my Vegas/Grand Canyon photos.

My sister and I had rented a 2005 Mustang for the trip. Here I am meeting Arizona's finest. I was caught on radar doing 93 MPH in a 65. I say Arizona's finest because he let me off with a stern warning. Cookie - be warned, that car can move!

During the troopers advisement that he could have impounded my rental car, thrown me in jail, and had the jailers perform a full cavity search, Katherina meandered off to meet the locals. One very nice local, who took great interest in my sister, was the below gentlemen. Immediately following my reprieve, I joined the tail end of their conversation. Actually, it was a one sided conversation where she was just fake smiling and nodding (to be polite) while he rambled on about his past lives as a cowboy, a gold miner, a confederate soldier, and in one other life he thought he was a famous vaudeville performer. Again, a very nice gentlemen, who frightened us VERY MUCH!
We were having such a great time driving accross a barren desert, we did not even consider stopping for gas or water! Let the good times roll. By the grace of god, on mere fumes (sputter... sputter... sputter...) we made it to a gas station. Adjacent to the gas station was a RV park which surprisingly for this particular locale was empty. However, the photo opportunities were way to good to pass up. This is why I love Kat so much, she really can appreciate a good joke.
To me, this photo represents individual achievement/failure. This is a kin to Chris Farley on Saturday Night Live, "I live a trailer, down by the river".
Hungry? Try the Road Kill Restaurant, where nothing goes to waste.
We are in the friggin desert! Parking is at a premium?

I just liked this old school billboard. This is a taste of Americana.
I leave you with this final shot of me. At the time of the photo, I was standing beside one of the great wonders of the world, and I believe I was thinking "Did I leave the iron on?"


DcLc

Tap... Tap... Is this thing working? Tap... Tap...

Ah, I have not had a chance (motivation) to post in the last couple of days. I have several funny stories and experiences I wish to share in the coming days, I just need to collect my thoughts, get off my ass, and write them up.

As a teaser, I encourage you revisit tomorrow so you can read about my weekend events that included the following quotes/excerpts:

"Inner Voice", "Wall of flesh", "Did you see those Ugg Boots?" and "That sure is a lot of Seamen".

I know, captivating!!!

DcLc

Tongue Thai'd

Last night I went to dinner at a very good Thai restaurant. The wait staff is primarily all little Thai ladies. Each server wears black pants, black dress shirt and a tie. Either they are told the wear the tie very short (the widest part of the tie lies on their sternum, or the ties are designed in that fashion. It reminds me of the ties from the seventies.

After finishing my second beer, I turned to get our servers attention. It became apparant that I had summonsed the wrong server, not that it matters, but my friend sternly pointed out that I had called the wrong lady. Without hesitating I retorted, "Hey, who can tell who's who, with all these little ties running around". Between the eruption of laughter from my friend and the change in the server's composure, I realized that the server heard "... with all these little Thai's running around". It was very much a Seinfeld moment.

I left a 30% tip.

DcLc