Well, dear readers, I am writing these here notes from high in the sky on an actual aeroplane, winging my way to Washington, DC. The trip to the airport was brisk, I was through priority check-in and security in three minutes flat – and priority check-in has none of those awful screening machines. Then I got a day pass for the American Airlines club, where I relaxed until boarding time. It was to be a full plane – once everyone was on and seated the announcement came to shut off all electronic devices, which we all did – except the yokel sitting in the window seat across the aisle. He just kept talking on his phone, either blissfully unaware of the just-made announcement, or blissfully stupid. It became instantly obvious that he was the latter – blissfully stupid. The flight attendant told him to please get off the phone and power down both phone and iPod. He said he would and continued to talk. The flight attendant then got snippy and tough and told him he was holding up the entire plane. The guy was a jerk, but finally said goodbye and shut his phone off. We taxied and were told we were fourth in line to take off. I then heard the yokel STILL talking on his phone, this time via wired mic. I couldn’t believe it, and leaned forward and told the flight attendant, who got up just as we began to taxi for takeoff and said to the yokel, “Are you STILL on your phone – shut it off now.” The putz LIED and said he wasn’t on the phone, but the flight attendant knew it, made him show the phone, which was, of course, ON, and he finally powered down his phone and iPod under the watchful eye of the flight attendant, who then had to hurry back to his seat as we were gaining speed for takeoff. I looked over at the yokel – no seatbelt. What an idiot.
Then, when they were taking our food and drink orders, the yokel wanted a Bloody Mary or some drink like it, and the flight attendant said, “Sorry, we don’t trust you and are not serving you alcohol.” Mr. Yokel looked at him and said, “Are you serious?” to which Mr. Flight Attendant said, “As serious as a heart attack.” Mr. Yokel has been well behaved ever since. I had a Panini omelet for breakfast – it was pretty good and not too heavy. I passed on the biscuit or bagel option. And that’s been the day so far. I shall return when I’m firmly ensconced in the hotel.
And here I am, firmly ensconced in the hotel. I arrived a few minutes early, got a cab right away, and arrived at the hotel around four-thirty. I checked in, and went up to my room, which is a lovely two-room suite thing. I got the laptop set up, then I took a walk. I am in an incredible high-end shopping district, with pricey stores in pricey malls – Neiman- Marcus, Saks, Tiffany, Louis Vuitton, Gucci – it’s rather like being on Rodeo Drive. I stopped at a Nordstrums Rack and got two pairs of pants – barely could get into them, but that will change and hopefully soon. After two weeks of eating more than reasonable meals, calorie-wise, and jogging my little butt cheeks off, I don’t really appear to have lost much of anything, let alone weight. Very frustrating, but it’s exactly what happened last time I did this – it took almost three weeks for the weight loss to kick in – when it did, then it went pretty fast, but this non-weight loss at the beginning is so frustrating you want to just give up. I shan’t but boy is it irritating.
I came back to the hotel after a brief stop at the CVS located within the hotel complex, which is actually part of a little shopping and restaurant mall that includes a Cheesecake Factory. Then dear reader KevinH arrived and we had a fun chat until the East Coast Singer, aka Sandy Bainum, arrived. Then we all toddled over to the Capital Grill, just a two-minute walk from the hotel. I believe I ate at a downtown Capital Grill the one and only other time I was in Washington, DC. We had a very nice server named Ben, who was helpful and attentive as well as attentive and helpful. Best of all, calories were listed for all dishes, so I was able to make a perfect decision: A humungous big boy platter of shellfish – shrimp and lobster, with both a cocktail and mustard sauce. Sandy had salmon and KevinH got a vegetable pasta thing they whipped up just for him. My platter was HUGE and I ate most of the fish therein – for a total of 320 calories – that’s what I’M talkin’ about. For dessert I had the 200-calorie berries and vanilla cream. So, even though I’d had the breakfast and later some cheese slices and fruit, I think I was okay, although obviously I did not get any jogging in and the hotel’s gym has no treadmills until Friday, as they’re replacing their older ones with newer ones. Sandy told our server, Ben, about this here web site and how it’s the longest running blog in the history of the Internet and he wrote the name down, so, if you’re reading this, hi Ben.
After dinner, we took a walk – it was very brisk out, but the fact is that the skies were clear and beautiful when I got in. Then I came up to my room and did some work on the laptop and that was that. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get a decent night’s beauty sleep.
Today, I’ll meet Sandy and Lanny downstairs at nine-thirty. She only lives about a mile away, so she’s walking here and then we’ll all walk to her house. That way I’ll at least get some walking in and I’ll walk back to the hotel, too, and then I might even attempt another mile by jogging. We’ll work till about three. We’re waiting to hear if we got tickets to the Signature/Ford’s Theater production of Hello, Dolly! If so, then Lanny and I will go see that – if not, we’ll probably dine near the hotel.
Tomorrow, more work, and then I’m going to see Sandy in her show – KevinH is coming, too, and maybe even dear reader ChasSmith, and maybe even Lanny. We’ll eat in some French jernt before the show. Friday, we’ll work again, then I’m not sure what’s happening that night. Saturday I’ll head to the airport around two-thirty and relax until I’m winging my way back to LA.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, walk two miles, perhaps jog a mile, work, eat fruit, the either sup or see a show. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland here in the DC of Washington.