distraction

look....so here's the deal. the past week has been kind of wacky for me...because a ton of things in my life have changed. and today, i was all ready to come home and lay it all out here in my blog forum, for you faithful 4 readers to read. i was finally in a great place to look at it all and explain it in a cohesive manner.

so i got on the metro...composing my entry in my head...and i looked down...and lost all focus.


that's right. a grown up. an adult human being. was OUT IN PUBLIC, on the metro, wearing these....these.....abominations....like they were everyday footwear. like EVERYONE had them on. like they were the norm. and then, i lost all focus. so you have this "gentleman" to thank for no full report.





ugh. i am still appalled...

thoughts on a thursday

"why do we never lead the life we have it in us to lead?"

-spoken by platonov in chekhov's unfinished play 'wild honey'

4:21am

{ring}

{ring}

matt: good morning, front desk. this is matt...how can i help you, mr. x?

mr. x: hey matt. is there like a joseph a banks or something around here i can buy a suit?

(internal unspoken conversation: matt: um.....it's 4:21am. no. no there isn't.)

matt: um...well, there are a few options in the area. there is a j.a.b. down at dupont circle and another at metro center. there is also a macy's down there. or if you wanted to head up to friendship heights metro, there is a filene's basement and a few other choices of places...just depending on what you're looking for.

mr. x: i'm looking for a suit.

matt: right i just mean....

mr. x: for an awards ceremony tomorrow night.

(i.u.c. matt: hey moron, didn't you think about that before you left home?)

matt: right. i just meant depending on if you cared about the brand or where you bought it.

mr. x: what time do they open?

matt: let me look that up for you. [internet research begins] it looks like filene's basement opens at 10am.

mr. x: whoa. 10? no...that's too late. anything earlier?

matt: let me keep looking. [internet research continues] well, the j.a.b. down at 11th and F st opens at 9am.

mr. x: hmmmm...man....i don't know....

(i.u.c. matt: sir...where are you from that suit stores open before 9am?)

matt: oh....it looks like there is a joseph a banks at reagan national airport that opens at 7am.

mr. x: hmmmm...do they have the normal inventory of a regular store?

(i.u.c. matt: well they did last time i was there suit shopping at 7am...but i guess that's a good question....you really never can tell.......)

matt: that is a great question...i'm not sure. but, i can give you their phone number and you could give them a call.

mr. x: it's pretty early. they probably aren't there yet.

matt: well, i mean when they open at 7am.

mr. x: yeah...i guess i could do that. what's the number?

matt: 703. 418. 8180.

mr. x: great. and nothing else you know of in the immediate area, huh?

(i.u.c. matt: well, except for the 2 early-morning men's suit stores across the street from us here which open at 4:30am that i wasn't going to tell you about...nope...nothing else....)

matt: nope...nothing i can think of.

mr. x: alright matt. well, i'll give them a call and hopefully i can figure something out. gnite.

matt: gnite, mr. x.

suddenly i find myself with free time

so it's been awhile. since april, to be exact. and before that, it was even longer. the whirl of life caught up with me back in the fall, and i found that the last thing i wanted to do was to be blogging. between rehearsals for shows and performing shows and worrying about work between and after and through various productions, i found that my daily desire to express myself on a blog had dried up.

fast forward to this morning...where the clock reads 541am, eastern time, and i'm standing at my newest job...the overnight front desk clerk at a beautiful 4 diamond hotel here in washington dc. that's right - for the past 3 weeks, i've been pulling the 11pm to 730am shift - completely by choice - and this morning i suddenly realized that i've got nothing BUT time...so i might as well reconnect to the blogosphere....to see if anyone is still out there...and to pass the time here at the desk.

i'm sure through it all, if the past three weeks are any indicator, there will be stories to delight.

take for instance one of my more recent late-night crazies...whom i will refer to here as 'silly sally'...who came to the desk, would't make eye contact, played with her fingernails the whole time, and asked if there was anywhere close she could get take out.

after explaining to her that everything in this neighborhood was closed, but there was pizza delivery until 4am that i could refer her to, she looked at me and said, "so...like...they would just deliver it here?" upon explaining yes, that was the idea, she rolled her eyes, and said, "never mind....that won't do. is there room service?"

smiling, i explained yes, indeed, room service in the hotel is available 24 hours day, 'silly sally' wrinkled her noses, finally looked me dead in the eye and asked, "are they going to bring it on a big tray? because i don't really want them to. i mean, i don't need a big ol' tray just hanging out in my room. i'm trying to pack. do they have to bring the tray?"

surprised, and secretly delighted, i said, "i'm sure you can request to not have it brought on a tray when you call...or you can take it directly off the tray when it arrives." a moment of thought-processing silence and a quick nod of the head brought 'silly sally' to say, "i guess that will do", and she turned to walk away.

Ten steps away from the desk, she stopped, turned around, looked frustrated, and said, "actually...can i have them deliver it somewhere else in the hotel? i don't think i want it coming to my room at all. like i can i have them deliver it down here? somewhere?" i smiled, told her to ask when she called room service, and directed her to the house phone across the lobby. 'silly sally' thanked me, turned around, and walked out of my life.

but the rest of the morning, and all day today, i've wondered if she asked them not to deliver it on a big tray. that's a converastion i'm sorry to have missed.....