The company I work for is rolling out remote VPN access using electronic tokens. The token provides a randomly generated number that changes frequently, which along with other identifying information allows off-site access to applications and other resources. Cool.
Mine arrived today. It came in a package that reads, “PADDED POUCH – SMALL.” Heh. DHL, such a size queen.
Thom has written about our recent travels, so go check it out: New York and Omaha. Most of my New York photos are up on Flickr (day 1, 2, and more to be added to 3); the one shown here I took in Times Square. As an aside, I will note that at Bloomingdale’s, I found two great pairs of pants by DKNY (and appropriately enough, the styles have names like Soho and Chelsea). I was so enamored of the cut that when we got back, I found another pair of the Chelsea style on eBay and bought it.
Omaha was cold and blustery, but a lot of fun. There’s something about visiting an unfamiliar locale with a like-minded travel companion that endears the place to you. I actually want to go back sometime and check out a few of the places we missed! And yes, Virginia, there is gay life in Omaha. (I must thank the editor of this gay Omaha website for the pointers.)
Next on the itinerary: Seattle! We leave this Friday afternoon, and will be back on the Monday night redeye. I haven’t been to Seattle since I was a kid, when my family went on a road trip from San Francisco to Vancouver (ah, the good old days). I’ve been lightly perusing travel guides, but if anyone has any recommendations, especially on restaurants or gay nightlife, let me know. Also, it’ll be our first flight on Independence Air, so I’d be interested to hear about any experiences with them, too.
Sunday, May 8 is my birthday and also Mother’s Day, as it was when I was born, lo, nearly 28 years ago. I’ll have to remember to give my mom a call, especially because that evening she and my dad will be embarking on a three-week trip to the Philippines. We’re zipping around all over the place!
There are some other trips planned in the coming weeks–when it rains, it pours–including another one to New York over the weekend of Thom’s birthday, at the end of July. We got tickets to the seemingly sold-out Spamalot, which we’ve been wanting to see for a while now. The M.O.: getting single seats. We can wait until intermission to compare notes (and hold hands).
» Previously: “Here and there,” Apr. 15, 2005.
I am not on top of Rufus news at all these days. (Okay, not just “these days,” I guess; it’s been a chronic problem.) Bad me. I found out this morning that he and Ben Folds are returning to Wolf Trap on Wed., Aug. 3 (thanks, Tina!), and that tickets have been on sale for a week and half already! So I got tickets right away and am all set on that front. Whew.
Did everyone watch Family Guy (season premiere) and American Dad (series premiere) last night?
I have to note two of the supporting characters on American Dad, Terry and Greg, gay news anchors who are also domestic partners. It’s cute how Greg encourages and coaches Terry during their on-air reporting, which usually lapses momentarily into personal banter:
Announcer: The Channel 3 Noon Report with anchor-partners Greg Corbin and Terry Bates. News that’s independent, proud, and unashamed.
Terry: Good news to report today, Greg.
Greg: Sure is, Terry. The threat level has just been lowered from yellow to blue, prompting across-the-board reductions in security measures. This is the first time the threat level has been blue, same color as my handsome co-anchor’s eyes.
Terry: [embarrassed] Stop.
Greg: Come on now, we’ve talked about this. Learn to take a compliment.
Terry: Thank you.
Greg: See, now how hard is that? All right, let’s check the freeways.
Ha, nice.
I survived boot camp, at least of the managerial variety. For the past three days at work I’ve been in a management training class whose title includes the phrase “boot camp.” Thankfully, no push-ups or other strenuous physical activity involved. It’s not one of those “go out into the woods and build a log cabin with your team” kind of thing, but still, spending whole workdays in a classroom (granted, with periodic breaks) can leave you drained, which is why I haven’t been blog active lately. I need to catch up on sleep, TiVo, websurfing… you know, the important things in life.
This morning at the Bethesda metro station, there were two people in cow costumes handing out little foam rubber cows with cards that promote BovineUnite.com and proclaim May 5, 2005, as “C-Day,” on which the website says to “tune into the networks between 8:45 and 9:00 p.m.” I don’t know what to make of it. I guess we’ll just wait until C-Day and see.
I took the little toy cow home, and Alex seemed as perplexed as I was.
[Update (May 6): So I tuned in last night, and it turns out that Bovine Unite is a campaign for the Maryland Lottery. Huh. I’m a little disappointed.]
Okay, so the recap and photos from last weekend may have to wait a bit. Just a few days after we got back from New York, we’re up and away again. Thom left on his business trip to Omaha this morning; his conference there wraps up midday tomorrow, and I am flying out to meet him that evening. So yes, Nebraska, here I come!
I need to get some shuteye, but just so I’m not leaving you empty-handed, I have uploaded a few of my New York photos for now. Here’s one of Thom and his mom on 42nd Street, before we all went to see The Lion King.
Here we are in New York City! I’m writing from the business center in the lobby of our hotel. This is just a quick post to say that the past two days up here have been great. We’ve got more sights to see today, and then tonight we head back home. Trip report and photos to come.