WASHINGTON — The Senate Judiciary Committee subpoenaed the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney's office today for documents relating to President Bush's controversial eavesdropping program that operated warrant-free for five years.
No, I didn't play in it; I don't play golf. However, my company sponsored a golf tournament on Monday and I went to help out with our table. One of our interns came with me and it was a hard day at the office, the two of us sitting in the sun (when the clouds eventually deigned to move out of the way), selling raffle tickets and giving out free towels and drinks. Great way to start the work week!
Anyway, as I said, I don't play golf so I learned a lot about it that day. The intern plays so while we were chilling at our tee ground, the 16th hole, I grilled him about everything from the terminology to what the little round disc in the ground that says 'Par 3, 135' means. Kind of cool, I must admit but it's still not quite enough to make me want to take up golf. My sport is dancing so *shrugs*.
I drove a golf cart for the first time ever and that was SO much fun. My boss had bought some drinks to be given out with the towels, so he loaded all of them onto the little golf cart and there was only room enough left for the driver. So where was the other person going to sit?! My boss suggested someone could stand on the back - or more like balance on the balls of their feet - and hold onto the roof. Oh dear. Being a gentleman (and I was wearing heels after all), the intern climbed up onto the back while I drove. At first I was a bit wary of driving the thing but I quickly got over it. Vroom vroom!
The rest of the day went by smoothly. We did forget the towels in my boss's car (they wouldn't fit on the cart in the first place), so I drove back to fetch them and passed them out to the teams I passed on my way back to our hole. Most of the teams were playing as a foursome and since they were doing a shotgun start, each team started at a different hole. Several of our coworkers, including my boss, were playing in the tournament. I think some of the people skipped our hole (how, I don't know) because at dinner (free buffet baby!), someone complained that they didn't know there was a raffle going on. Bollocks. If you had come by our hole, there was no way you couldn't have known about the raffle because we told everyone who came by.
And we got some sun. The first couple of hours were quite cloudy and a bit chilly, but the weather turned out really nice later, with the sun blazing down on us. I got a tan on my arms and lower legs (I was wearing short sleeves and a skirt) and my face; Intern got quite red, too. The only crappy thing was that we forgot sunscreen: my facial moisturizer has SPF in it so I had some on my face but it's not a part of my daily routine for the office and I'd totally forgotten that I was going to be out on the golf course all day. My arms, especially my right arm which got more sun, have a slight farmer's tan because of my short-sleeved cardigan. Damn. Russ doesn't mind - he thought it was kind of hot - but it really is so not cute. Oh well. All in all, it was a great day. Continue Reading
Before I get to my cousin, I just want to say that as lovely as Russ's parents are I'm sure, I'm glad Russ's parents have finally left for home (Australia) and that I finally have him to myself again. Yay. Unfortunately, the day after they left, my cousin Emily came to visit, so now he can't have me all to himself. Drat. And he's leaving for the Philipines on Saturday. For two weeks. Double drat. However (!), my cousin will be here for a month and a half so I am free to spend as much time with him before he leaves for the Philipines as I can, which I'm doing. Y'see, my cousin's so cool; she understands and she knows that I'll be all hers while he's gone those two weeks haha. Oh yeah, and he's gone up to Canada to finish his visa application today, too, and won't be back till tomorrow. Will we ever get to see each other? Sheesh. Despite the both of us being so busy, we're making it work and it is working swimmingly well. He's one of those guys who'll call you up randomly just to see what you're doing. I love it. And if we don't see each other that day, we'll ring each other before going to sleep. And he's very touch-y feel-y, which I absolutely love, whether it's holding hands, arm around my waist as we're walking, or just stroking my neck while we're watching TV. And he's soooooo vocally, and blatantly, appreciative of me, from the shoes and clothes I wear to my makeup, and it makes me feel so damn good. It's so gratifying to know that my primping efforts are not going to waste; there's nothing worse than spending 30 minutes on makeup (which is long for me!) and having your man not notice it at all. Of course, all this appreciation is reciprocated because I know how good it feels to be on the receiving end.
Okay, now that I've done gushing about Russ, let me focus back on the topic at hand: my cousin Emily. She's visiting from Taiwan and it's her first time in the States. Exciting! Now I've got a proper excuse to go to all the touristy places in town that I've always wanted to see but haven't done so (like the Underground Tour). Luckily, she's also 21 so I can take her to clubs and bars, too. Woohoo! Continue Reading
(Now I have Diddy's 'Last Night' stuck in my head...)
So last night didn't end as I'd envisioned. I feel THWARTED! Russ's parents (and brother, who arrived today) are visiting for about 2 and a half weeks, which started last week, and so I haven't had a chance to see him at all. Sad! I know. I've been feeling very deprived. However, last night was supposed to be a reprieve and it was, to an extent.
It was his graduation dinner. All those graduating from his professional master's program - UW (w00t w00t!! Go dawgs!) - were invited to a very nice and formal (although you couldn't tell it from what some of the people were wearing...) dinner at a very nice restaurant by the lake. I'd envisioned a really nice dinner, seeing all the geeky looking geeks in his program (We were the best looking couple there - his words, not mine.), and then some quality time together. 2 out of 3 was not good enough. BAH!
What happened to 3, you ask? A flat tire is what happened!! *SCRIBBLE SCRIBBLE SCRIBBLE* We were driving along when I detected a weird sound coming from his side of the car, from the back. Then it went away. Then it came back with a vengeance. Oh snap, what the hell is that thud thud thud sound?! Exactly what I said, minus the 'oh snap'. I pull into the parking lot of Bell Square, we get out and fuck, I've got a flat tire. Arghhh I hate flats! They're such a hassle and they get your hands all dirty! Russ, being my hero, changed my flat for me. Yay. I felt like such a princess watching him do it. Oh yeah, and we were still in our evening finery, too, though he did take off his tie and unbutton the top of his shirt and his cuffs. (My frothy petticoat made me feel even more of a princess.) Mind you, he looked really sexy getting down and dirty with the (stupid) tire. I'm incorrigible.
By the time we'd finished putting on the spare and washed our hands, it was almost 11pm! Both of us had to be up early the next day, so there wasn't much we could do but go home. Bah!
This morning, I went down to local garage to see about getting my tire fixed. The guy took it out and I was, like, 'Hey, what's the shiny thing?' Hot damn, it was a razor blade embedded in my tire. Bloody hell! My mom's first reaction was 'WHAT?! Someone slashed your tires?!?!' Uh, no, it would be quite difficult to slash a tire with a razor blade. So now I gotta replace that stupid tire. See? Flats are SO annoying!! Continue Reading
I think I've recovered sufficiently from my lack of sleep during my week-long whirlwind tour of Europe to finally blog about everything's that's happened in the past week. *Takes a deep breath* Here goes...
This was an insane trip. I'm so crazy; I had essentially 5 days (2 days were taken up completely by traveling) to hit 2 countries (UK and Denmark) and 4 cities (London, Cambridge, Bristol and Copenhagen, although not really because the wedding wasn't in Copenhagen but in Nykøbing Falster). I really did try to do everything and there were only 3 things that I didn't manage to squeeze in: seeing Tom because it was his bedtime by the time I met up with his mom, Ceroc and meeting up with James, my former partner in crime at FAO, because my stay in Bristol got cut short due to a slight passport problem (yeah, like leaving it in another city on the other side of the country).
So I flew out from the US on 23 May and it took the entire day to get to London. I arrive around 8am at Heathrow, defended myself against the customs officer who gave me a hard time about studying in Hull though (not that I blame him), dropped off my backpack at the excess luggage storage at Kings Cross, changed my money at a post office and did a tiny bit of shopping (I bought the dress I was looking for to wear to the wedding - I love you H&M!!!!) before meeting Kizzy for lunch.
It was so great to see Kizzy again. We're pretty good friends considering we've only met twice (last Thursday included). Weird huh? Things just clicked between us I guess! Afterward, I went to Oxford Street and squeezed in a tiny bit more shopping (I didn't buy anything though) before I went to meet Yvette for a drink. It was awesome to see Yvette, too. After chilling out with her at a pub, I took the train up to Royston where Raven picked me up. I crashed at his because he's got a spare bed whereas Yseult's got a couch. Upon thinking about this afterward, I realised I could've slept in with Yse in her bed as it's big enough but oh well. That night I had dinner with Kate and Val, ex-workmates from NXT, at La Tasca. It was soooo yummy and we had a lot of fun catching up and talking about our recent exploits. Too bad it was late by the time I met up with them because it was past Tom's bedtime, but I'm sure I'll get to see him next time I'm in town. Kate dropped me back at the barracks and I slept like the dead until about 10 the next morning. Yay for no jetlag!
I spent the majority of the day chilling out and watching DVDs. I had a fat ass club sandwich for lunch; it took me a while but I did manage to finish it in the end. Raven and I had Italian for dinner at Ask then met up with everyone else at The Granta. I was SO happy that everyone managed to show up: Yseult and Nicola, Ros, Tess (with Jim), Ashley, and Nicky and Jonathan. We spent the entire night at the pub, hanging out and catching up.
Me, Nicky (Jonathan's hiding behind her), John (Nicky and Jonathan's friend), Ashley and Tess.
I had a really great time but got no sleep that night (about 4 hours) because I had a 7:30am flight to catch the next day. Before going back to the barracks, we dropped off my backpack at Yse's so I could easily pick it up on Sunday when I got back from Denmark. Raven, being the awesome mate that he is, offered to drive me to Stansted, and I got on board without a hitch.
With only a carry-on (I planned it this way), I breezed through customs, grabbed a croisant and water before hopping on the train to Nykøbing Falster. Well, I thought it was the train to Nykøbing Falster - it was the same time as the one I looked up online! - but turns out it was to Osterport. Doh! Luckily everyone at the train station spoke English and they helped me figure out which train I needed to take to get to Nykøbing Falster. Once I got there, I waited almost 10 minutes for a taxi! Good grief. There was a guy and his 2 kids waiting for a taxi as well, and he mentioned to me that there are very few active taxis in the town. Great, I thought to myself, I'm going to be late to the wedding! Finally a taxi pulled up, I jumped in and explained where I needed to go, and that the wedding is at 3 (in about 20 minutes); the driver got me to the church with 7 minutes to spare! I was so relieved to get there on time that I didn't even register the fact that my fare costed about £25 (that's $50 to my fellow Yanks. Bloody hell, talk about sticker shock. Oh well, I got there on time and that's all that mattered.
The ceremony was short and sweet, with lots of organ music and hymn singing. Lam looked sooooooo beautiful. She was truly a 'radiant' bride! I was so happy to be there and I could tell that she was really happy to see me, too, judging by the huge smile she gave me. The entire ceremony was performed in Danish - funny, my first wedding and it's in a foreign language - so I didn't really know what was going on, but I could tell that they exchanged rings and said their "I do's".
Lam and Rasmus walking back down the aisle.
Afterwards, we all gave hugs and kisses to the bride and groom and made a mad dash (because it was pouring down rain) for the little reception room in the next building. At first, I wasn't sure what was going on - all I could tell was that the bride and groom were taking some pictures in the church and everyone else was leaving - but my friends (Lam and Ras I mean) took care of me: they told the best man, Thomas, who I was and must've asked him to watch out for me. Poor little American lost amongst the Danes! Hahah. He came up to me and asked if I was from the US. Anyway, Thomas explained about the little reception and that we'd all make our way to the big reception afterwards.
At the mini reception, Ras pulled me aside and pointed to a group of his friends and told me that they were English, too. I looked and, hey, it was Ras's coworkers! I knew Daniel already, so thank goodness I knew someone other than the bride and groom. I also met his girlfriend, Soowoo, Rich, Darren and Neil. Eventually we all split up into different cars and taxis and found our way to the reception venue. Daniel, Soowoo and I rode with a really lovely Danish couple who have known Ras since university (I think). In the car, I found out that Ras had grown up in this little rural town (in the middle of nowhere, mind you) near the church they just got married in, and the guys found out that I flew over almost specifically for the wedding. Like I said, I'm so crazy.
Now I just want to mention something: the Danish are sooooooooo incredibly friendly! Everyone I'd met, from the information desk lady at the airport to the mom-to-be on the train to everyone that I didn't know at the wedding, were so nice and helpful. Of all the places I've been to so far, I must say Denmark's by far the friendliest country I've been to.
We were one of the first to arrive and when everyone else started trickling into the venue, they would all shake hands with everyone and say hello. A couple of Lam's friend introduced themselves to me and asked if I was from the US. When I said yes, they said that I was staying with them at the B&B down the road. Oh good, I have a place to stay! (Yeah, I went there without having planned out a place to stay at...) Coincidentally, Thomas arrived and asked me if I had a place to stay, and said to let him know if the B&B didn't work out for some reason and he'd sort something out for me. See? So nice!
Me and Lam. Doesn't she look gorgeous??
We spent a while in the small front room of the reception venue talking to other guests, eating peanuts and drinking coffee, and everyone got a chance to chat with Lam and Ras. When they opened the big room, we all filed in to take a picture with the bride and groom, then were directed to our seats. It was all very orderly and laid back, and finally, the food was ready to be served! (Remember, I hadn't eaten anything all day except for a croissant.)
Me and Rasmus, handsome as always in his wedding suit.
There was so much food, too! We had smoked salmon and cheese with pesto sauce as an appetizer. The main course was roast beef with string beans, carrots and a half tomato with horseradish sauce, and Danish new potatoes (very yummy!!), and lots of gravy. Fruit soup with ice cream and whipped cream was dessert. Rich, one of Ras's coworkers, and I totally chowed down and it turns out he's a certified 'Fat Kid', too! Yay. We were totally loving the roast beef, potatoes and gravy because neither of us has had any roast in ages. And get this: the main course was served three times. Yeah, that's right. I turned down the third time but Rich was still going at it. Awesome. Of course, there was also a lot of wine (red and white) and champagne floating around, as we all made toasts to the bride and groom throughout the dinner. I opted for Coke and water, as usual, but I think I had at least 4 cans of Coke that night. No wonder I was still awake at 5am despite only having 4 hours before I hopped on a plane over.
There were numerous toasts made to the happy couple, and I got singled out in several of the them haha. It was because I was the only one from the US (everyone kept referring to me as Lam's American friend) and was part of the few people who didn't speak Danish. Thomas was the toast master and when he started, he first spoke in Danish, then explained in English, thanking everyone for coming out, esp. those from the UK and even the US. They all apologized for making their speeches in Danish (as if they had to!!), but we didn't have to understand Danish to understand the love and emotions behind the words. I even cried during Lam's toast to Ras, telling him how much she loves him; even though I didn't understand a word of it, I could feel the love in her voice and feel the power behind her words. Even Ras started crying and then Lam put on a song, which made it that much more emotional, and they were both crying and laughing and kissing through the song. *Happy sigh*
In between courses and toasts, we sang songs - one of many Danish wedding traditions - about the couple using traditional melodies and just substituting words. Another tradition was if everyone started banging their silverware against their plate, then the bride and groom would have to stand up on their chairs and kiss each other. If everyone stomped their feet, then they would have to kiss each other under the table. If the bride leaves the room, then all the women present would have to get up and give the groom a kiss on the cheek; if the groom left, then all the men would have to give the bride a kiss on the cheek. Then there is cutting off the toe of the groom's sock - to prevent him from running I think - and cutting the bride's veil for good luck. We didn't cut her veil but the guys did hoist Ras up in the air, take off his shoes and cut his socks. It was funny.
Then came the cutting of the cake. It was a 4 tiered piece that the bride baked herself, with the help of her sisters and mother. Y'see, Ras is allergic to eggs so Lam decided to make the cake herself. It was very good, with one tier filled with raspberry, one with passion fruit and one with chocolate. With cake we had a choice of tea and coffee, then cognac and Bailey's. Then they pushed the chairs and tables to the sides, making a dance floor, and brought out the beer. There was a Wurlitzer jukebox in the corner with lots of old and new English and Danish songs, and I drank more Coke.
The party went on and on, and then there was more food! It's a tradition there to have a hot soup before one goes home from a party, so we had Vietnamese beef stew with bread. Mm mmm! We partied well until the wee hours of the morning. By 4am, I had decided to not go to the B&B and just go straight to the train station and the airport to catch my flight back to the UK. Thomas and another Danish couple offered to take me to the train station and if the station wasn't open or my train wasn't there yet, they'd take me to a bar for some shots. Haha, awesome! I really owe them for taking care of me that night (err, morning): they paid for the taxi, took me to the train station, checked my train schedule for me, then bought me a Coke when it turned out I still had about 20 minutes to wait. They then made sure I got onto the right train, told me which stop I'd need to change trains for the airport. Thanks to them, my trip back went very smoothly.
Back in England, it was also pouring down rain. Great. I waited an hour for my coach bus to Cambridge, warmed myself up at Yseult's house with a roaring fire and a nice cup of tea, packed up half of my books that I'd left with her, and caught the next train to Bristol. Halfway to Bristol, she texts me and AHHHH I'd left my passport at her house somehow. I must've taken it out of my bag without even realizing it. That just goes to show you how tired I was at that point. Since I didn't need it for another day and a half, I wasn't too worried about it because worse comes to worse, I'd just go back to Cambridge the next evening and go to Heathrow from there on Tuesday.
Being back at Tony and Jude's felt so good. They made me a proper Sunday roast - yay!! - and it tasted sooooooo yummy!! Since the dinner at the wedding, I hadn't had any other food save for some dried fruit that Yseult gave me. I knew that all I had to do was get through the first 4 days of my trip and that as soon as I got to Bristol, I could stop and relax. (To bad I had decided it was easiest to travel back to Cambridge the next day for my passport, but oh well.)
Nick came to visit, as well, and we all chilled out in front of the TV, chatting about nothing at all. It was a lot of fun just hanging out. Around midnight, I decided I needed to sleep, that my body really needed rest after having not really slept since my first night here, even if I wasn't feeling tired. I clonked out soon after my head hit the pillow and didn't wake up until noon the next day! I can't believe I slept till noon but I guess I was really, really tired. Of course, I felt much more alive the next day - and apparently didn't look like shit as much, too, ha. Unfortunately, Nick got called back to work so we didn't get much of a chance to catch up, but then I left for Cambridge around 4pm so I just didn't get all the time I had wanted to have in Bristol. Major bummer.
My trip back to Cambs was perfectly uneventful. Back at Yseult's, we hung out and chatted about everything (girl talk, y'know) and I warmed myself in front of her fire again. Yes, it was pouring down rain still and I was freezing. Nicola came home and we chatted some more. We all went to sleep around close to midnight. I was up again at 3:30am, packed up my stuff, got into my taxi and onto my train for Heathrow. I got to the airport okay, got on the flight okay, and got home okay. For once, I wasn't terribly upset about leaving the UK (and y'all know how much I hate leaving the UK) and I was actually looking forward to coming home. At Chicago O'Hare, while waiting for my connecting flight, I'd texted all my friends saying that I was almost home. Ryan told me earlier that he was a bit shocked that I'd called Seattle 'home'. Ha. I'm thinking Russ had a part in making the leave much easier this time, hehehe. Continue Reading
Me, Nicky (Jonathan's hiding behind her), John (Nicky and Jonathan's friend), Ashley and Tess.
Nicola, Yseult and Ros.
Lam and Rasmus walking back down the aisle.
Me and Lam. Doesn't she look gorgeous??
