Two years ago today....

…..I was en route to the Philippines. Factoring in the difference in time zones, the 747 had lifted off from Nagoya for the final leg of journey to Manila. The flight was largely uneventful and consequently received very little time in the journal save for a few remarks about the girl seated next to me in the window seat who had perhaps the worst cold in recorded history. I just knew that in a few days time I too would have the worst cold in recorded history, but the gods of travel favored me that time around and a cold never came to pass.

On that flight I jotted a few notes about the anxiety and thrill that come with visiting a place for the first time, those feeling of uncertainty, the looming unknown in which one will soon find themselves for which one can only plan up to a point. It’s that moment of reflection, the deep breath before the plunge; you hope that upon hitting the water you’re able to navigate the rushing currents of culture and life.

It’s remarkable to consider that two years have passed. Wandering around Manila, both on foot and via Jeepney and exploring the rice terraces and mountains around Sagada seem much more recent a memory. The trip was memorable in many ways and I’m looking forward to a possible return later this year.

Hmmmmmm

Not sure what I think about the glowing eyes.

Rainy Afternoon, The Sequel

For the moment at least the rain has stopped, or very nearly so. This is but a temporary respite in the gloom which is to linger through Tuesday. I'm taking a break from scrubbing the kitchen floors to have a coffee to prattle on a bit at the computer. Once I wrap up the kitchen cleaning I'll move on to bill paying (probably) followed by the evening dinner ritual.

I have been somewhat of ill humor this weekend due to receiving the news on Friday that one of the brightest and best people in the office is leaving due to moral objections over the recent and terribly nasty personal issue to which I have alluded on here. That employee, like myself, was caught in the crossfire between the Evildoer and their innocent target in another department. This is such an unfortunate development and one that has thrown me into a bout of despair. We had a long and heartfelt private talk on Friday afternoon, which out of necessity had to be somewhat guarded at times due to the Evildoer chugging back and forth outside my closed office door like some gunboat on patrol. While I hate to see them go, I agree wholeheartedly with the departing employee's decision and admire their courage to take a stand.

Rainy Afternoon

A cold and dreary morning has given way to a cold and rainy afternoon. From time to time the clanky old steam radiator hisses to life, drowning out the patter of the rain striking the windows and the leaves of the ancient magnolia just outside my study window. I have just now finished the weekend's laundry chores and the temptation is great to take full advantage of the weather by napping an hour or so before I get moving with the evening's cook-a-thon. Not sure what the specific dish will be; I do have on hand some beef and vegetables and a bottle of red to spur on the creative process.

After a bit of a lull in the reading, I've gotten back into it full bore this week and am continuing to churn my way through Don Quixote. The book is an absolutle delight, though I'm looking foward to finishing it and getting back to something a little more substantial in terms of current issues that have captured my attention.

Anway...off now to read/nap. Perhaps more later tonight.

First Issue

The first issue of International Socialist Review arrived yesterday. Though I've given it only a cursory browsing thus far, it seems to be an intriguing periodical.

Afternoon Break

Despite my intentions this morning to go forth into the sunny and warm day, I have thus far contrived to remain in the apartment. The day has not been a total loss, however, as I have managed to get a good bit of spring cleaning done and have put together the menu for tonight's cooking endeavor which I will begin a couple hours hence once I make a run to the grocery for a few things. While I have a good idea as to what I'll be making, the specific presentation remains somewhat in question. But that's part of the fun of cooking, particularly if you're proceeding sans recipe as I most often do.

Sunny Sunday

I tumbled out of bed this morning at the typical early hour (though one hour later due to the daylight saving time thingie) and launched immediately into the morning's productivity, the hope being to get laundry and other sundry chores out of the way so as to have time suffficent for taking advantage of the sunny 80 degree weather. Laundry will be done in about half an hour or thereabouts, after which I'll make some decisions as to how best to employ the day. It's going to be important to make such a decision early and then get a move on with it; otherwise, I will fall into ennui and end up just wandering about the apartment, accompanied by much sighing and forlorn looks out the window (the cabin fever thing of which I wrote a few posts ago).

As for today, I'm trying to motivate myself for a photo expedition of some sort, which I have not done in quite some time. While I'm somewhat indifferent towards this endeavor (at least for the moment) it would nonetheless get me out of the apartment for a while. One of my greatest failings is locking myself away in here and not leaving once over the course of the weekend. This is a habit I really need to break. So at any rate, off to wrap up laundry and then devise some means of taking advantage of the day.

Greenhouse Therapy

There are few things more restorative to ones sense of well-being than to sit for a while in a greenhouse, soaking up the warmth and and the feeling of being surrounded by new and well-nurtured life. A brief time in this setting validates Thomas Jefferson's assertion that:

"those who labour in the earth are the chosen people of God,

if ever he had a chosen people."

Friday Evening Prattle

What a difference a few days make: snow, ice, and roving packs of Yetis on Monday and today 70 degrees, with sun-yellow jonquils turing their faces to the equally sunny sky, and packs of robins flitting about, poking here and there for whatever tasty bits they manage to find time of the year. The forecast is for much of the same tomorrow and even warmer on Sunday with highs pushing the 80 degree mark. It will be imperative that I try to get out and enjoy the weekend weather as it's not going to last; cooler temperatures and rain are in store for next week. An ephermeral weekend such as this sets the stage for a near-terminal case of cabin fever, which manifests itself in the form of much sighing accompanied by lingering, forlorn looks out the office/home/Jeep window with the memory of the taste of spring that was, but is no more, at least for a month or so yet. Mother Nature is just cruel this way.

Never has a weekend been more welcome than this one. Work this week can only be decribed as insane and this might even been an understatement. Extraneous personal drama cast a dark pall over much of the day to day business and sent those so inclined by their nature to find such bickering pointless scurrying for cover. It's interesting to note that those of us who tried to rise above such nonsense were dragged repeatedly back down into the muck, or if our altitude above the buffoonery was too great, were bombarded by artillery fire. It seems that some believe personal drama must be shared by all those around them. I think what bothered the Evildoers more than anything was my studied, stoic indifference to it all. I refused to react or even comment (though at times my inclination was to tear our their throats with a pen), which drove the interested parties to distraction. While there was some gratification in this, I'm rather tired of the ongoing ordeal. The hope is that the weekend will allow sufficient time for the perpetrators to see the error of their ways so we can once again achieve some sense of normalcy.

Snow, for what it's worth

Not a blizzard, but nice to see nonetheless.