Letters from NYC

Emails and Jury Duty

Michele found one sure way to get out of Jury duty even after being placed on a case. She was dismissed earlier today because she became so ill she nearly had to go to hospital. Running a high fever and what seemed to me in a somewhat incoherent state (she kept referring to me as John), she told me that a court officer had helped her get into a taxi to get to her doctor's. Afterwards I learned she had a fever of 104 and had been diagnosed with Strep throat. Apparently there was a bit of a fracas w/her doctor because she wouldn't bend over and let him give her a shot in her butt. Sorry Michele but that was an interesting imagery.

So instead she opted to swallow pills which to me sounds a bit more painful. Poor thing can barely talk. So I'll do the writing for her tonight and will only note nice things about her. Like for instance her calling me to see how I was doing after the fright of this past weekend.

Which brings me to the Email portion of this post. It seems we have received quite a bit of email in which some of you are concerned that there might be friction or a rift between Michele and I. Not so.

We are still the same co-bloggers / work collegues we were before. I was just very spooked by that psychic episode but that's because nothing like that had ever happened to me before. I'm relieved to know that Michele can't read my mind and therefore no charges of sexual harassment can be brought against me for my thoughts.

Michele assures me that she isn't psychic, if she were she'd "be a rich lady living on easy street, because then [she'd] know which stocks to buy and which to dump." What a relief it was to hear that. But then I thought, imagine that, as sick as she was she wanted to make sure I was okay.

In 3 other emails I'm both asked, and offered if I'm interested in blogging, at my own site. Nope, not at all. Michele knows me too well and knows I cannot have expectations placed on me, and I cannot commit to anything, not even blogging. In fact, I will be leaving in the next few weeks as I've got a business trip that will begin in London where I'll be for 2 weeks, then I'll continue for 2 weeks in Germany, followed by 3 weeks in Russia (one of which will be vacation where I'll take time to savor slavic delights). I'll then continue on to Beijing for 1 week before returning to Wash DC, in time for some interesting meetings and some social engagements.

Too bad Michele refuses to do some of these DC social things. I rather enjoy them, but then again I'm a social animal. She on the other hand, tells me she hates them because she's a homebody. If it's not quality time with people she likes she refuses to do it. Her usual answer to all my invites is: "Thanks, but I really want to spend more time with my son." Although I find her approach to parenting highly commendable, it is one of the reasons I don't ever want to have children of my own, they consume too much of your life and time.

As one of my female co-workers puts it: "At first you're excited that you have this divine force growing within you. Then it comes out and there's no time for you as it's all about them. And they continue sucking the life/blood out of you for 18 more years and even then it doesn't stop because then there's grad school and unemployment after grad school. The only time you stop giving is when you're dead, and buried 6' under." That's pretty much my take on it.

Anyway, so as you see, though I'm enjoying this inmensely, I'm one of those kind of guys that's here today and gone tomorrow. Although in this particular case I'm having so much fun with the blog and Michele that I have to say I will be back. I still have a few weeks here yet so I'll see what interesting things I can come up with as parting gifts for you to read. Any suggestions?

Posted by 1Colin at August 18, 2005 11:59 PM | TrackBack