Aplace

WIH-zend

not WHY-zend.

You're welcome.

When Karen M. turned 31, she posted on some social network or another something akin to "31: All the baggage of 30, and none of the charm". Word, Karen M.!!! 31 is fine but has no pizazz (other than being a prime number! Thanks to RR for the reminder). I'm not going to devote too much thought to the whole 31 thing, because the last thing I need is more self-reflection.

I notice that my profile pic on this blog is six years old. This is almost-25 year old Ferd. I am not nearly this fresh faced any more. I am going to replace it with my current, wizened visage.

Also, how is wizened pronounced? (why-zend? wi-zend?) I can't use it in conversation because I don't know!!! Troubling.

I ordered some Maybelline Kissing Koolers over eBay. They have been discontinued for about 15 years, so truly, I fear what will be in the packages I receive. Best case scenario, my lipglosses will have been untouched by the passing years and I will be able to remember the person I was when kissing koolers featured prominently in my life. That wasn't even such a great time in my life, but acquiring new kissing koolers was definitely one of the highlights of my life in that era.

Also, a hurricane is coming. Earthquake, hurricane, it's all very stressful. Don't let anyone tell you DC is a cushy posting.

The Great DC Earthquake of 2011

So for the second time in as many years, I've found myself within 100km of an earthquake's epicenter. And also for the second time in as many years, I was terrified. At first, I couldn't even figure out what it was. Then someone helpfully reminded us that someone had sent a suspicious package to the Embassy two weeks ago.  Finally, my boss, who lived in Japan for many years said "it's an earthquake. Find a doorway to stand underneath". So we did. And we were fine, mostly. Some of the metallic covers for the sprinklers fell out of the ceiling,  but luckily no one was standing right underneath when they fell.  After the shaking stopped, we walked out of the building and went to the courtyard across from the Embassy to wait for the "all clear".  Having learned my lesson after the last earthquake, I remembered to take my purse with me. Clearly, by that point, I was feeling a lot more sanguine about the situation

For me, there were no real post-earthquake consequences. Others were less fortunate. Some of the city's low-income housing ended up having to be condemned. How it is acceptable in the United States of America to have children and families living inside a building that can't withstand a 5.9 earthquake is beyond me. Truly. Also, schools were shut down yesterday (though in my humble opinion, having kids start school in August is borderline cruel and they should have been shut anyways).

Did I confront death in those few seconds where the source of the shaking was unknown? I guess. The possibility of dying seemed acute but somehow tolerable. I'm glad it was nothing, though. Obviously.

And, as if Mother Nature hadn't been irritating enough,  Hurricane Irene is scheduled to hit DC Sunday morning. Hopefully, it will miss and all we will have to show for it is a lot of rain. I'll let you know.

 

Uncle Vanya at the Kennedy Center

Earlier today, I saw the Sydney Theatre Company's production of Chekov's Uncle Vanya. It was shockingly entertaining. It shouldn't be shocking, of course. Chekov wouldn't be recognized as a theatrical genius if his plays sucked but for whatever reason, Russian writers instill fear in me. I chalk it up to some traumatic experiences I had with Solzhenitsyn and Tolstoy in OAC II English. This production was fantastic and Uncle Vanya himself, Richard Roxbrugh, was excellent. Richard Roxbrugh played Nicole Kidman's evil suitor in Moulin Rouge. In that movie, he was repulsive, but in today's play, I just wanted to rush up to Uncle Vanya and comfort him, cry with him, drink with him.

In the end, Uncle Vanya is pretty downbeat, even though it pretends to be a comedy. The play's philosophy is summed up in the words of the Doctor who says he supports life in principle, but that he hates his life, in particular. A chuckle, but also extremely sad. 

Cate Blanchett is in this production, which I suspect is the major draw for the audience. It was for me anyway. She is very good, but definitely only one of the many excellent moving parts that makes this play work. 

So, Tripoli has fallen. I know, I know... I just feel like talking about Uncle Vanya. 

Misleading headlines....

 
Saw this on the Times website and was appalled. David Bowie's wife is a sexual predator??!!! Innocent until proven guilty and all but still...

Turns out that is a typo and the real article reads: Imam Charged With Sexual Assault. Just another pervert masquerading as a Man of God (in Canada, no less).

I would be upset if I were Iman.

Hiring a trainer

I'm thinking of hiring a personal trainer. The Embassy has a gym and there is a personal trainer attached to the gym that you can hire for an additional (extremely reasonable) fee. Does anyone know why personal trainers are usually so expensive? $90 an hour at my gym. Um, no. 

Has anyone ever used a trainer? Was it a positive experience?