Week 1: Success

Well, Week 1 of my new found freedom has been nothing short of fantastical. You're gonna want to grab yourself a bowl of popcorn and snuggle up for this recap.

Monday:  Trivia Night

With the power of two, Team PCU made their debut appearance and landed themselves in 2^nd place at the Duchess’ trivia night beating out Bong Hits for Jesus only to be beaten by Magical Mushrooms for Moses (I think?).  While most of the heavy lifting was done by PTS, I came through with a couple answers that I like to believe without, we wouldn’t have cracked the top 3 teams.  However, I would like to mention that when it comes to trivia, lesson learned: go with your gut.  If your gut tells you the answer is Predator, and you start to write P-r-e- and then cross it out, and put Commando, you’re going to be wrong.  I think it’s kind of a similar strategy when it comes to standardized testing, go with your first instinct, but PTS wouldn’t know anything about that. I can see how that strategy might be easily forgettable in a high stakes, high pressure situation, especially when you’re trying to impress a total hottie with useless knowledge. 

But useless Star Wars movie knowledge, that’ll get you everywhere with the hot chicks. Moral of the story.

Tuesday:  Turbo Kick Boxing and Step Aerobics

So on my new jobless/weighless program, I am at the gym for a few hours a day, looking like an uncoordinated crazy person, trying all the dance and aerobic classes.  When you’re a bit on the heavy side and 5’10” doing anything that involves any sort of coordination, grace tends to be elusive. I thought I’d brave the step aerobics class as I envisioned leg warmers and bustin’ some sweet moves to Olivia Newtown John.  But really it was a solid kick ass way to sweat and look totally uncoordinated, just in case I was absent for opportunities to do that.  I was pleasantly surprised how great the workout got my heart rate up and produced a solid sweaty glow.  At the points when I found myself facing the wrong direction, stepping the wrong way, off balance, shuffling out of rhythm, I just owned it and rocked out to my own steps. 

Seeing as the masochist in me has been feeling a bit caged, I decided to stay for Turbo kick boxing.  At that point, it was all I could do to put one foot in front of the other let alone high kick, upper cut, booty shake and pound it out. But I did. 2 hours later, I hobbled to my car, feeling tired, sweaty and accomplished.   

Wednesday: Snooty Seattle

After an intellectually stimulating class on the Old Testament, we headed to Late Night Happy Hour was at Ballard’s Bastille which is how Seattle does French in a pretentious and snooty Ballard way.  I had the falafel and snuck some fries from PTS.  As far at the rest of the weekdays go, Wednesday was a valley in the week of peaks.

Thursday: Girl Talk

Had lunch with the beautiful ladies at Wild Ginger.  It’s always such a treat to spend time with HM and LL and share in great conversation, enjoy good food and always some good laughs.  Wild Ginger’s Vegetable Chiuiu Salad is absolutely scrumptious and highly recommended (although it will leave something to be desired for you carnivores.) After lunch LL has been so gracious to offer her home to me as a study haven. of which, she proceeded to come home and find me studying (ie. napping) on the couch. What?  A girl’s gotta get her beauty sleep in. 

I was easily persuaded to stay for a fabulous dinner with 6 other lovely young ladies as LL whipped up a vat of delicious Thai chicken soup, salad, fruits galore and strawberry shortcake.  Here’s the thing about getting a group of young women together:  the topic of conversations are 1.) guys; 2.) Ways we stay beautiful including but not limited to: the wide array of hair removal options, manicures, pedicures, fake eyelashes, and alike; 3.) what is wrong with guys and how do they not understand a variety of topics, or rather, most things.  This is all true, until guys are present.  Then we’re sweet, darling and utterly irresistible. 

Friday:  Who doesn’t love a day of Torture?

My friend AE was giving a guest lecture presentation at the UW Law School on a case he studied in law school that is currently on going and unfolds during an interesting time given the present day conversation around torture and the War on Terror.  I won’t go into the rather lengthy story but the gist is that Abu Zubaydah, when captured, was considered the #3 man in al Qaeda.  His capture came at a perfectly timed opportunity for the US to implement a new interrogation program and to the painful misfortune of Abu Zubaydah, he because the guinea pig for the Enhanced Interrogation Technique (EIT) that has ultimately left him permanently injured and brain damaged. It was later discovered that not only was he not al Qaeda’s #3 guy, he was not even a member of al Qaeda.  He now sits in Guantanamo waiting for a release date that will probably never come, caught up in the mixes of legal grey areas, bureaucracy and a heartbreaking story.    

After a quick hot cocoa on the Ave, I headed to Suzzalo to get some study time in before Torture Talk #2 began. Matthew Alexander was a Senior Armed Forces Interrogator who has recently published a book on non-violent methods that are used to solicit information from captors.  His perspective and insight on the whole process was interesting as he talked about the importance of understanding culture, practicing compassion and the role accountability plays in interrogation techniques.  His talk although insightful, he made a few broad comments that I took contention with on a higher sociological level but all around he provided strong arguments for why non-violent, anti-torture policy is instrumental in establishing the US as a leader in human rights on the global scale. 

  

In other news:

I signed up for my first sprint triathalon which means I need to buy wet suit. I also need a new MP3 player because by all accounts I’m assuming mine is somewhere in Japan, and I need a new laptop as my current one is either going to explode or give me the blue screen of death and never revive itself.  All of which, I need to compulsively research, make extensive pro/con comparative lists, read hundreds of reviews and then ultimately purchase.

Additionally, I had great conversations this week that involved a good friend of mine and I exchanging dating woes. She went and took the cake with a conversation when she told me a porn film director told her she needed to, “aim higher than bartenders” when it comes to dating.  I’ve been telling her that for years, but when it comes from a director in the “industry” it seems a little more urgent and valid.  She then followed up that gem with the ever-present pet-peeve of “HE USES DOUBLE NEGATIVES AND IT DRIVES ME CRAZY!"  No wonder we’re friends. Moral of the story: grammar matters when dating. 

Oh yeah, and I practiced self-respect, self-discipline and self-reverence this week.  That was not easy…at all. 

How did I ever go to work when I had a life to live?  I wonder what fantastical events are in store for next week....can't wait!