Robert Frost said it best – though in my case its more like tons to do before I get on a plane and sleep on the plane then on the beach.

I know, you are not feeling sorry for me.

Right now I am stressed because I have to give a thumbs up on a print server kit, but it has not been replicated to my local server. And I dont have rights to do that. So, I am in a holding pattern. Need to get this done before I leave. Otherwise it will be a two week delay in deployment.

Also trying to get a bunch of stuff ordered today so it will arrive just in time for the move. Actually, two thirds of it should arrive then, and about a third should arrive before hand so we can migrate data and applications onto the new stuff and not transport old junk we are retiring.

Went to the site of the new building yesterday afternoon. Climbing six flights of stairs wearing a hard hat and safety glasses in 80 degree heat about 45 minutes before it rains sucks. But the outer walls of the lab are ruffed in, the power and network conduit are run, and things are coming together. Its gonna be a great lab. Or maybe a great dane…

Hey, ask Nia about the Bush II Administration’s attempts to end publication of the serial set. Then sit back and watch the vein in her forehead twitch.

Anyway, back to the salt mines…

What a good weekend. Friday night was spent puttering around the house and surfing the web. Nothing really accomplished, but mostly mindlessness. Perfect!

Saturday was Hidden Mountain Investiture. The directions weren’t the best, but it is a hidden mountain, so its probably par for the course.

The drive down was really great – its been too long since Nia and I went on a road trip. The day was long and hot – court in the blazing sun with no shade may not have been the best, especially for a last court which was definitely going to be long. On the other hand, not sure where else on that site I would hold court.

It was a lazy day – just sat and chatted. Watched some people work hard and gave their names to TRMs. Did some work on my carving – its coming along but Im gonna have to ask Kyneburh or James to help me clean it up.

Dinner was good – not so much for the food but for the company. It was nice to be able to have a quiet meal with good friends and not a cast of thousands. I hear we missed a good feast, but thats ok. It was a nice quiet meal which was exactly what I needed.

The drive home was long. Good, but long.

Sunday I accomplished five loads of laundry. Need to start packing for St. Croix. I also need to dig out my itinerary – not sure what I did with it. Found it!

Its am 8am flight on Wednesday morning. Need to ask Dug if he can take me to the airport on his way to work on Wed.

Late on Sunday, I met Cuan, Padraigin, Nia, and Lucia for dinner and hang out time. It was very fun, though I shall let Padraigin tell you of the Lord Nudgers.

For those who asked about my last entry, contact me privately please.

Oh, forgot to mention – watched two movies as I was folding laundry on Sunday. The first was a Japanese film about a late 19th century gay samurai. Very weird. The second was Snatch – I love that movie. I am turning into a Guy Ritchie fan.

Least now I know exactly where I stand…

Anyone know any good resume books?

After watching West Wing Wednesday night, it struck me that with Sorkin gone, the show had in some respects taken on a more right leaning aspect.

OK, first off, last weeks episode, called Talking Points, was the first directed by Richard Schiff – and it felt like Sorkin was back.

Second, I think they did a good job of balancing the left versus right – though its interesting to see Leo and Bartlet espousing more conservative ideas then they had in the past. And to see how the staff is dealing with it, especially CJ and Josh.

Speaking of Josh, why is it he never learns – he never learns that when he talks from his ego, it always comes back to bite him. Its frustrating in a way that as a character he has not grown in that way.

So, this weekend is Hidden Mountain – day tripping that one.

Other then that, Dug got us free tickets to see some show at UNC on Sunday night. Something about the South African diamond trade.

Beyond that its laundry, resume, pack for my trip, etc.

I am both looking forward to and nervous about St Croix.

I mean, these guys were among my closest friends in college. And it will be a good relaxing vacation. But I really havent hung out with any of them in years. Will it be one of those like we just saw each other yesterday things? Or will it be awkward?

I really should be working – got lots I need to get done, but then again, look at the subject… sometimes, I am too moral for my own good oh well, back to work.

Have you ever heard of the island nation of Pitcairn?

According to the CIA World Fact Book:

Pitcairn Island was discovered in 1767 by the British and settled in 1790 by the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions.

For those unaware, a synopsis of the Mutiny on the Bounty is available here and summed up as:

In the year 1787, Lieutenant William Bligh, … was commissioned … to undertake a voyage in … HMS Bounty. … On the morning of April 28th, 1789, led by Masters Mate Fletcher Christian, twelve crew members staged the now famous mutiny, capturing the ship, and setting Lt. Bligh and his supporters adrift in the ship’s launch.

Though they original settlers of Pitcarin were mutineers, the flag of Pitcairn still expresses the island’s close ties to Brittian:

It is amusing to read the official Notes for Visitors to Pitcairn as it advises on such things as “Diesel driven generators provide 240 volt electric power for approximately six hours each evening and for three hours each morning. ”

This is amusing until you realize that the population of Pitcairn is only 44 people.

This small population becomes even more shocking when you find out that thirteen of them are under indictment for multiple sexual assault charges.

Why am I telling you this? Because, after 225 years, it has been decided by the island’s own supreme court that the island does indeed fall under Brittish sovereignty and the men should be tried under British law.

From Allen:

I want everyone who reads this to ask me 3 questions, no more no less. Ask me anything you want. Then I want you to go to your journal, copy and paste this allowing your friends (including myself) to ask you anything.

Long night at work last night – long meeting this morning, ate lunch at my desk (which I brought) – therapist appointment at three – meeting Nia at 6 in Apex for a walk around the lake.

Maybe I will actually get some sleep tonight..

A work mate today described himself as keeping his head barely below water… seems to sum things up around here.

The day off cost me over 100 emails… be a week to catch up…

So, today, the Supreme Court heard arguments regarding the holding of enemy non-combatants. It will be interesting to see how The Court decides on both facets of the combined cases – the rights of non-US citizens and the rights of US Citizens.

The most interesting tidbit that came out of the pre-argument publicity was this quote:

History teaches that we tend to sacrifice civil liberties too quickly based on claims of military necessity and national security, only to discover later that those claims were overstated from the start.

That was in an amicus brief filed by Fred Korematsu, a former Japanese-American internee who filed suit against the US Government for reparations for his internment. That case reached the Supreme Court and The Court found for the government.

Anyway, this is just mild musings so Im gonna go do some work so I can get out of here before eight…

First, before I get to the meet of this entry, I have started cross posting these on Diaryland and on LiveJournal. This give friends in both realms the ability to follow my musings.

The summary of the weekend – the parts I can remember were great.

Friday Morning, Rick & Ed show up, with Ed having no idea where we are going. Rick told him we were going to a bluegrass festival in Siler city, but when Rick picked him up told him he didnt need his camping gear but to grab some nice clothes and his golf clubs. Ed thought we were gonna hotel it and go have a nice dinner.

We get on the road, and Ed asks why we are on I-95. We have a friend who is notorious for taking the longest possible route so we tell him we are following directions from Kurt. When we started seeing the signs for Fayetteville and South of the Border, Ed figures out we are not going to Siler City.

We drive on and Rick gets a call and says “our ETA is around 4.” Ed says that would put us in the greater Savannah region. We all shrug.

As we pull onto I-16 in Savannah, in an amazing feet of timing, Kurt and Jason pull onto the highway so that we are in a caravan. This was not planned, but worked perfectly. Especially as we tried to convince Ed that just because it was a white Acura with NC plates and a roof rack didnt mean it was Jason.

Ed asks if we have tickets to see The Lady Chablis that night and Rick says no. Ed gets dejected and Rick tells him the tickets are for Saturday night.

We check into the hotel and about 30 minutes later a nock on the door and in walks Ed’s brothers. Half an hour of ‘What the fuck?!?’ in surprise later and we head down to the pool. Tommy arrives around 7:30 and we catch the water Ferry into downtown Savannah.

We duck into a little restaurant call Alligator Soul. Fantastic – if you are ever in Savannah go there – they cure their own meats, do their own baking, etc – and its fantastic! Expensive (nine people, cocktails, three bottles of wine, dessert was $580 before tip) but worth it.

We then wander around Savannah and check out the night life before back to the hotel and bed. Ever cram nine guys into a hotel room? Its pretty interesting…

Saturday morning, Rick and I got up and walked around Savannah. We walk to The Mercer House from the book and movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. There is also an official Midnight book store which we check out – and Kevin Spacey looked frighteningly like the pictures of Jim Williams.

We then went to a local brewery and had some local brews and burgers, then Rick headed back to the hotel while I puttered around and bumped into the rest of the crowd (TM). We putter around some more, then back to the hotel for naps and pools then we get dressed and head over to Club One for the show, stopping on the way for hotdogs.

While at Club One we bump into Jerry Spence without realizing who he was and start getting the low down on the gay scene from him.

The show was fantastic! The Lady Chablis has a great Lena Horn thing going and she works the crowd wonderfully. She said that everyone who was straight that their ticket was actually their gay membership fee and that they were all one of us now. And at the end she said that if anything she said offended anyone they should know that from the bottom of her heart she didnt give a shit.

And when the show ended, that was it for me. I never left Club one until Rick, Ed, Rob etc came and got me and dragged me home to curl up by the toilet. The bar tender was HOT and so I was hanging around and ordering too many rounds.

To be honest, it was only the second time in my life I have suffered alcohol induced reverse peristalsis.

Sunday we woke up and there was no Dug. He left me a voicemail saying he was going to spend the night with Cory in Beaufort. I sent him a text message saying “who the fuck is Cory?”

Anyway, every packs and buggers out except Kurt and I who pack Dugs stuff, and yes he had left his truck keys in the hotel room. We are putting his stuff in his truck with a plan of leaving his keys at the front desk when he and Cory pull up. Seems I had met Cory cause Dug says he introduced us and Cory says he remembers meeting me.

Dug, Kurt and I say good bye to Cory and head for some food out by Tybbe Island and then to Fort Pulaski national monument. An amazing Civil War battleground – a 30 hour battle which proved that rifled cannon could destroy a brick and mortar fort, and in which only three people died. The fort still has cannon balls stuck in the walls.

Then the long drive home followed by blissful sleep.

Why is it Micro$oft calls with a fourteen step plan just thirty minutes before you are trying to get out of the office for a long weekend.

And when they do call, each step of the plan includes twenty eight sub-steps. And they expect you to take notes and run the plan and get back to them.

Its called email, folks. Arrggghhh!!

Odd thing I found as I was packing last night – my toiletry kit is gone. I know I had it at coronation, and Im pretty sure it came home, but I’ll be dammed if I can find it. Its not on the L&F list which Caroline posted.

Weird.

Well, just killing time while I wait for the crowd to show up so we can get on the road…

I may have mentioned that I have put the catalog of my movies on line. Well, i am now working on my CDs. After that, my books.

OK, they are here so I am off… See Ya!