I did a lot this last weekend.

I bought a wine kit to make my own wine. It was kind of fun to setup. It's not that hard. You just need to make sure everything is clean.

If all goes well, in 3 months I'll have my own wine. 30 bottles of it. 30 bottles of wine raises it's own set of problems. I'm not a big drinker so 30 bottles may last for years. We'll see how it goes.

I also cleaned and organized the workshop. There was a lot of dirt back there. I need to do a dump run to get rid of all the garbage.

I had lunch with C6 today. He said he's tired of his managment. His manager doesn't believe she has a problem.

We talked over his laternatives to quitting. He could take a long vacation. He could switch devisions. He said he no longer wanted to be a middle manager. And that the only way to do that was to leave the company.

When it rains, it pours...
C6 called me. He's also leaving. He's taking a year off work. No definit plans.


The Law of Unintended Consequences...
Over lunch C2 mentioned that the Haliburton recruiters are unintentionally hiring many gay men for work in Iraq. Due to the nature of the job, they need mature men who can stay way from the U.S. for months at a time. Not many married guys fall into that category. Gay? Bingo.

C2 IM'd me.

C2 says:
are you there? busy?
BC says:
I'm here. Spinning my tires in the mud. So, not busy.
C2 says:
how are things?
BC says:
Not bad. Quiet. You?
C2 says:
it's 'fine.' I have a guy (recruiter at Halliburton) that wants to send me to Iraq!
BC says:
Wow.
BC says:
You going through with it?
C2 says:
Hey, want to lunch today with G and U?
BC says:
Yeah.
[lunch details deleted]
C2 says:
See you there at noon.
C2 says:
do you really think I'm crazy to go to Iraq?
C2 says:
you didn't seem too opposed when I first mentioned it.
C2 says:
not like others that REALLY were opposed.
BC says:
You're not entirly crazy. I just hope you realize everything won't be rosey and keen when you get back.
BC says:
Your dad won't change just because you go to Iraq.
C2 says:
and I've not even told liberal commie pinko crazy IR. I may have to move out.
C2 says:
Oh my dad will never change (too much.) I know that and things really won't be too much different. And it's not like I'll be away for ever.
C2 says:
I just found out that you CAN return to the US throught the year!
BC says:
kewl.
BC says:
I'll miss you.
C2 says:
but you cannot spend more than 33 days here total per year.
BC says:
tax?
C2 says:
yes, that's the reason why.
BC says:
I've known a number of people who have worked in Saudie Arabia and the UAE.
BC says:
so, I have a general feeling for the paperwork.
C2 says:
I want to do a bunch of things and this'll be Great opportunity for you to travael to some great strange places with me.
C2 says:
I want to hike the Kyber pass.
BC says:
You know I'll be there.

C2, Matt, Sandy and I had dinner on Friday night. I couple of times Sandy squeezed or rubbed C2's leg. C2 told him off.

Sometimes I worry about C2. I think he's deperessed and has been for a long time. He's too stubborn to see a doctor and I don't know how to snap him out of it.

RO and I drove out to Allyn and Shelton Both are very small towns.

On our way back we stopped for dinner in Tacoma. Apetizers and drinks at Stanley and Searforts Dinner at the Southern Kitchen. They serve very rich food.

Tommy, in the south do they really fry everything and add a cream sauce?

Tommy Boy and I talked with each other about how our journals have changed. They are not as juicy as they used to be. Three years we would mention the hot sex we were having or the trouble we were getting into.

Now... let me see... I write about shopping and movies.

I can't say I'm in a rut. If anything I'm out of a rut. I'm doing what I want, it's just that what I want doesn't involve S&M or slutty Daddies. I spend my evenings with friends. I work hard. I have a good quiet life.

Weird.

It's been dark and rainy here. Saturday was freezing rain. Sunday and Monday are just regular rain.

Friday night, C2, RO, BearOrgy and I had dinner at Siam's. BearOrgy had to leave early to watch the new Battle Star Galactica.

C2, RO and I went to Espresso Vivance for coffee. It didn't work out that well. The music was loud and the tables were large so it was difficult to hold a conversation.

Saturday RO and I went surplus shopping. First we stopped at the Boeing Surplus Store. They have lots of stuff there-- large sheats of aluminum, drill bits, tools, cables, old computers, old office furniture, on and on. You can get a good deal if you know what you are looking for. You can also buy a lot of crap.

After that we went to the Gourmet Standard Outlet Store. It's a tiny kitchenware store at the back of the Gourmet Standard warehouse. I bought a great new set of pots and pans. The manager was very helpful-- telling us why some things were cheap, what was trendy, what professionals used, what made good cook ware and what the good buys were.

I bought non-stick again. Professionals usually buy regular 'stick' pans. I wonder why. Probably because they last longer and are easier to maintain. On the other hand, it's so hard to cook low fat unless you have non-stick.

Last night C2 and I went with the movie bears to see Million Dollar Baby. It's a good film. Kind of like Rockey except Rockey breaks his neck at the title match. Don't worry. I haven't given the ending.

After the movie we want to CC's and ran into Faf and Officer Rob. Officer Rob told us about his mace training.

To use mace, the police force requires it's officers to be maced. When it was Officer Rob's turn, the guy spraying the mace accidentally sprayed Rob in the mouth. The sprayer said "Sorry, that's not good enough, I have to spray you in the eyes." So Officer Rob held open his eyes and was sprayed a second time.

Officer Rob's eyes swelled shut-- which was expected. He had to be guided to the shower. It sounds like mace gets deep into your eyes. For two or three days later Officer Rob said he could feel little bubbles of mace under his eye lid. Now and then a bubble would pop and his eye would sting again.

Steven got back from a week in California. His father was very ill and hospitalized a week ago so he went to visit. One week later his father is much better.

I didn't do much over the weekend. Fixed some plumbing. Cooked. Cleaned.

Saturday night RO and I went to a party. It was a large party but neither of us knew many people there.

I've been working a lot and still have the cold. Today is the first day I didn't use cold medicine. It feels good to be less groggy.

A third of the people I work with have this cold. Some much worse than I. Whever I get a two-week cold, I always worry "Do I have AIDS?" So seeing so many co-workers be sicker for longer than I is a comforting.

New Years eve I had a few friends over-- Matt, Sandy, the Tease, Bib, C2 and the Designer. It was a quiet evening. The Tease and I both had lingering colds so we didn't party hard.

Sunday, the Designer and I went to Leary House for an afternoon beer, wine and snack social held by the achivist at Leary House. Leary House is a huge mansion that's now 100 years old. It's full of beautiful wood and tile work. Some of the carpets are the original 100 year old carpets.

Steven and C2 are both very stressed. Both have work and family problems right now and it's draining their energies.