A Recipe for Disaster

But incomplete.

You sometimes hear that phrase, and yes, at times, you can look at a situation and say, “Wow, that was sure a recipe for disaster!”

But every kitchen has that. Cabinets filled with ingredients, pilot light on the stove is burning, the refrigerator filled with food, recipe books on the shelf. Depending how you mix and cook thing, determines what you have to eat for dinner.

Last night’s ingredients are(in no specific order)
HSGF-High School Girlfriend, that I have known and loved for thirty years.
We get together for dinner, or the Reunion, every five years.
She has driven into town for the weekend, by herself.
She is staying at her dads' house, but he is away for the weekend.
I am driving into town to see her and have dinner with her.
And yes, the pilot light is always lit.

We had a really nice evening. Dinner was simple, at a nice burger place, then it was back to her dad’s house where we talked a bit about our high school days. Then we pulled out pictures of our families and got caught up on the trials and tribulations of raising kids, what our brothers, sisters, moms, dads were doing.
We had a great time.
Then it was time for me to go home. A long hug, a kiss on the cheek and off to home I go.

And that is the end of the story until we meet again in five years.


What you don’t see in the recipe book, is the ingredient where we trust ourselves not to make a move, we trust each other not to make a move. Our spouses trust us. Because you just don’t do things to jeopardize everyone’s trust. And that is the main ingredient.

And if we both were single? That is a different recipe and a different story.

Alone

Sunday

She told the man,
in the Broadway hotel,
‘Nothing was stranger than being yourself.’

Alone, in your room you hide,
as the night goes by,
in the street outside.
-AS

I may be lonely, but I’m never alone.
-AC

So I sit here on a gray Woburn day, listening to the kids splash in the pool. An atrium is nice, I can hear and see people, but the fall rain and cold is beyond the glass.
Oh I suppose I could gaze at the pool, watch the people swim. But they are all kids, and I would look the pervert if I stood there gazing. Even more so if I stood on my balcony and gazed at the teenage girls using the exercise equipment below me.

The network is down here, so I cannot see if friends are online, cannot email or web surf. That leaves me to depend on myself for something to do. I got a little work done, read some reports, but I have to admit, I am a little bored. I have stories to finish, but today, the Muse just isn’t there. I know I have to be awfully clever to work my characters just right. I still don’t know how to handle Cindy and Auntie; I got to a point in the story and just couldn’t figure out how to tie them together, and to hint at what really happened. Oh I know the end, it’s just that I am at the 3/4 mark and can’t get past that point. It started as a small story, maybe five pages. But then it took off and I am up to a dozen pages already! Sometimes that happens. I start with a little idea and the next thing I know, I have a dozen chapters. Then the hard work begins; the careful plotting.
The easy times are when the idea hits, the cute little Muse is perched on my shoulder, whispering in my ear. The next thing I know, I am done and I have a nice little story. I like the Muse and she likes me. But at times, I guess she has things to do and just isn’t there. I guess I am not the only one she whispers to.

But the amusing thing is, that despite being alone these last two days, I am not lonely. In fact, I am rarely lonely. I’ll go to that Mexican restaurant down the street tonight and ask for a table for one. I hope I don’t see pity in the hostesses eyes, for I need it not. I am not alone. My thoughts churn in my head, I watch the people swirl around me, and I get ideas.
Other times, I think of my sweet wife and how soon I will be back at her side where I belong. But you know, she is never far away. Everywhere I go, she is with me. Even in my dreams, I can feel her presence. Always there, always steady and supportive.
So I am never lonely.

You Can't Fool Me

Saturday
So I go downstairs to have lunch at the bar yesterday. It’s nicer there, TV screens, maybe a chance to chat with the bartender there.

I grabbed a seat at the bar, there was a lady sitting at a table to my left; otherwise the place is empty. I ordered a Sam Adams and a sandwich.
While I was eating, two ladies come in and sat down across from me!
Now this is a bar in the center of the room, so there are places to sit all the way around. And yet the two ladies sit directly across from me.

Now let me describe them. Both are in their mid thirties. The brown-haired woman is good looking,. Her blonde companion is, well, let’s just say she hurts the eyes a little, just to look at her. Border-line ugly.

Now I know what they are doing. When you look at them, your eyes have to go to the nice looking one. It’s a setup, just to put all the attention on one person. But you can’t fool me! I know it’s a setup. I know that it is designed to lure a guy by himself, to make eye contact, smile, approach. And she will be approachable. We’ll buy each other drinks and the ugly one will quietly disappear. Then, when she thinks I have loosened up enough, she’ll invite me back to her room.
And if I were to go there, I would maybe get three steps into the room, and the ugly one will come out of the bathroom, grab me from behind and hold a chloroform soaked rag over my face, knocking me unconscious.

Within the hour, a van will pull up behind the hotel and two burly guys will collect the body. Within hours, my parts will have been surgically removed and winging their war to rich organ recipients around the country.

They can’t fool me and I did not make eye contact.

Dinner two

Finally got a hold of Prada-Girl. Dinner is set for Monday. With any luck, I can convince DT to join us! Wow, this is going to be a busy week! I have a dinner with HSGF next weekend, in lieu of the reunion!

Yes, as you might have guessed, I have a number of female friends, scattered around the country/world. No, I do not know why I seem to collect more gal friends, than guy friends. Some, like Filet, I am very close to, others are just good friends. If I ever get back to Cebu, I will be sooo busy!

Life is tough, but I survive.

Dinner with Skinner

The logistics of being out of town, while friends are scattered around the Boston area; can be daunting. This especially true since the roads and off ramps change daily.
But I was finally able to get some free time in my busy schedule and touch base with Skinner.
It’s funny, but I can call it all manner of things. Basically, it’s dinner with a friend of mine. If I want to get people to talk, well then, I have a date with Skinner.
Skinner is 5’2", short light brown hair and blue-gray eyes that just sparkle with intelligence, mischief, and intensity. I have known her for…gosh, fifteen years now! Every time I am in Boston, I try to get together with her. Maybe just for a beer, maybe for dinner. She is just fun to be around. (yes, and quite attractive!)
The one time I brought WG to Boston with me, Skinner took the day off and took WG all over town while I had to work. The two of them had never met. You just have to love her.
So I drove into town and met her for dinner at the Red Rock. (Oh, it would have been so amusing, to have run into Prada-Girl!)
I had a great time with her, catching up on our lives. (I so miss working with her.) She spins a good yarn and it just fun listening to her.
I was careful and only had one beer. After all, I had to drive, while Skinner rides the train. I told Skinner there was another reason to only have one beer. If I had too many beers, she might take advantage of me! (here is where we pause for just a moment, allow all of you to step off the curb, into the gutter. Now while you are all thinking dirty thoughts…)
For I knew if I had too much to drink, I would wake up in the back seat of her car, surrounded by brushes, rollers and cans of paint. She and her husband would be laughing maniacally in the front seats; for now they had someone to help paint their summer house and they didn’t even need a ladder!
Skinner laughed when I told her that.
Alas, she could not stay too late, she had a train to catch. But the few hours we could spend together was worth it.

The three of us

It is fun when something happens to me and I can sit back, assess the incident, then put a fun spin on what happened.
I had just finished a business dinner with ML. As he went off to his room, I stopped at the hostess station to get a copy of the bill. There was no one there so I scanned the restaurant to see where she was. Now there were two (good looking)young ladies having dinner in the restaurant. And as my eyes slid past them, I paused my glance for a split second on the one who was facing me.
(now I am adept at letting my glance just touch a woman, and not linger. For I know full well that if the glance lasts for more than a moment, she will feel creepy chills going up her spine and the hair on the back of her head will start to stand. Why should I ruin her dinner?)
And the young lady facing me was looking at me. When my gaze came back around, she was looking at me again.
A good looking young lady.
I waited a minute or two, then scanned the restaurant. Each time, this young lady was looking right at me!
Now if I was OTP, I would have smiled. Maybe gone over and chatted. After all, there was eye contact. But the days of a woman walking over to talk to me, and leaving a snail-trail; well, they are far in the past (if they ever existed.)
And I can split myself into parts and spin this story into two directions.
The hog knows that she was checking me out. And despite the fact that I am a bit older, she was debating what her next move was. After all, we were two people staying at a hotel, far from the city. There could be some interesting interactions if we wanted some brief companionship to ease the loneliness of being far from home.
The gentleman would be concerned that this older guy might have given her the creeps. Young ladies do not care to be ogled by an old guy.
Warty knows that the simple explanation is that, when she looked up at her friend, I was simply in her line of sight.
Nothing more.
Skinner thought the story was amusing.

Okay for you!

Well, in 24 hours, I’ll be in the East. Skinner and I will meet for dinner, have fun catching up with our worlds.
No word from Prada-girl or the Daughter-Twin. I am soooo not talking to them!

Travels

Well, in another week I’ll be on the East Coast to do some training and getting some training myself. It will be nice to see my coworkers again and to meet two new ones. It will be odd this time because I’ll be spending the weekend. In times past, when we were based in the city, I could walk all over the city and do site seeing. But now the office is in the suburbs, so if I want to see the city, I’ll have to drive in. With luck, Skinner and her husband will be available. It will be nice to see them both. Hmmm…I’ll have to see if Prada-girl and/or the Daughter-twin can meet me for dinner, lunch, a beer?

Good that they have me going to the East before the weather gets cold.

And speaking of cold, there is a rumor afoot that they may need to send someone to Cebu to help provide some training. It’s amusing that when the boss put forth some names, the three supervisors there said that they only wanted me! It’s nice to have friends like that. This wouldn’t happen until maybe January. So while it’s cold here, I would be in a warm climate. I don’t know how long it would be, or if WG can come this time. If she can, I’ll have to schedule some of my friends to help show her around. WG loves the beach, and an island has beaches!
Then there are diners, island hopping, dancing at nightclubs.
Should be fun if I can survive the fun!

We will wait and see. I assume that when I am back east, I will be approached about this.
Fingers crossed. :-)

Are we there yet? II

So, I was talking to Mr. B and he was telling me of a property he had just bought. Several acres and a closed medical clinic. He wants to convert the clinic into a house and resell it. The clinic even has an operating theater!
So I told him of my story idea of the organleggers. He caught on right away. Yes, he agreed, that would be a good place to do the harvesting. A small building, way out of the way.

And I began thinking more on the idea. How hard would it be to convert the clinic to a home, but leave the operating room? Easy.
Of course, living 30 miles from Chico, transportation would be an issue. Chico does have a good supply of young college boys and girls. Healthier, than say a forty year old. But I would guess that someone would miss a young college girl more than a forty year old executive.
As I build this story, there are so many details to figure out.
A young organ source would be more valuable, but an older person less missed?
Well, move the abandoned clinic closer to SF?
All I have to figure out is how to find a doctor and how to slip organs into the organ donation system.

Bit by bit, piece by piece, the idea forms.

Weekend in the country

Spent the weekend visiting friends up near ‘B’. It’s nice to get away to the country. A relaxing time, a little fishing. Watch the animals.
Mr. and Mrs. B. have seven acres and five horses; three dogs and several cats. The fun was watching their two new puppies and Tommy interact. There was the usual sniffing of butts and licking wrong places. The fun thing was the puppies. There are both about a year old. One is your basic Lab, the other smaller, mixed breed. There were a few barks and snarls, then things settled down with Tommy in charge. The one older dog knows Tommy and they already knew how to get along.

The puppies did get a little wild, as puppies do. After a while, Tommy would want to go in. A little rumpus is okay and then it’s time to settle down.

Fishing on the lake wasn’t very good. Just a few nibbles. But the next morning, we took three of the horses to the neighbors' property next door. They walked us down to a good sized pond and through handfuls of dog chow in. And tons of catfish, some quite large, came up to feed. We could have just dipped in a net and gotten lunch and dinner!
Next time we come up, I’ll catch dinner in the pond!


A good weekend. Quiet, nice and quiet.