Well the past few weeks have been both fun and stressful. My current stress is the job situation as I've just received a letter via snailmail (ewww.. Hardcopy) that states that I am overqualified by leaps and bounds for a tech support job I was counting on. I've still got feet in the door, and they are making inquiries as to whether or not the people in hiring positions there are mentally deficient. After all, why turn down talent that *wants* to work for you?

Anyhoo, my last major post was 16 days or so back so I want to bring you up to speed on a few things. First up;

A Meeting with Karen Goldbach, Skipper of the USS Questar

The nature of the meeting was simple enough. Ricky, Joan, Amy, Ben and myself are forming a shuttle down here (If member processing gets their scc#'s through sooner than later ;) called the Hathor. Now down here there is already a ship in service to the fleet. While the topography of the area and the far flungness of the city of Louisville mean that there's plenty of room for two ships to operate without toe stepping, one still has to worryabout the finer points of politics and making sure that both groups are comfortable operating in the same area.

I am very pleased to announce that after dinner at Two Hans Mongolian Grill, initial trepidations were laid to rest. We quickly got down to the why's of starting a new chapter out here, the logistics involved and quasi mapped out in my mind where the Questar operated in relation to where Hathor was going to be in operation. All these were resolved fairly quickly and most amicably. Karen and I are looking forward to working together to make both chapters flourish.

A Visit From The Avenger!

Marine Captain Ricky Bruckman came down to Kentucky, looking for a soul to steal---- err... sorry, wrong thread ;)

Ricky came down to visit with his future wife Joan Pierce and for an intra-company job interview with his new boss out here in the wilds of Kentucky. Looking for an angle to wrangle a quick visit with Avenger personnel, I was only too happy to offer Ricky the shuttle service he needed to go to said interview. I arrived at his and Joan's home about 12:15ish and Joan was feeling somewhat ill (Hope you're better Joan!). It didn't take long for Ricky to get ready and a few godbye kisees later, Ricky and I were on our way.

Let me just say, I needed to hang with Ricky. Those of you who are reading this in Kentucky should not be offended by this, its just one of those things. There's plenty you folks are doing to help me assimilate, but well... I can't help feeling a bit homesick anyway. Now that the disclaimer is one, lets get back into it.

Took Ricky to his interview and we realized quickly that the numbering schema for buildings in this state is pretty screwed up when you start getting to the outerlying territories. Once we found the building which was in a midblock, not on the line of other numbered buildings on the opposite side of the street as would be logical, we got him inside only to find a family applying for a job at the same place. Their kids were cute, full of life and very difficult to discipline and keep from getting naked in public.

When Ricky met his boss, the gentleman drew a sigh of relief, he was hoping against hope that the couple with the kids was not Ricky and Joan. A few minutes later Ricky came out with some great assurances from his new boss, who happened to have moved here from New York three years ago. So all things are pretty much Jake for the Rickinator. So, off we go to lunch... where you ask? Two Hans Mongolian Grill... its just one of the better places I've found to eat here.

Over many bowls of food, Ricky and I tried to suss out where the hell these people learned how to cook on a mongolain style grill. For example, when you cook on a mongolian style grill, you throw food on one side, and then the other cook throws his food on the other, and they pretty much dance diametrically opposite one another as they cook the food. Ostensibloy this avoids crossposting food from one dish to another, and it keeps a good workspace. Here they cook like the grill is a pizza pie, in tiny wedge shapes, in one little area (so the food can burn more I think) and when they get a new bowl of food and have plenty of grill space, they put the next bowl right beside the cooking one, in the next little wedge. Not only does this frequently cause you to end up with someone elses food and flavourings, but you're food ends up tasting like theirs... too much food close together, mixing in, will do that.

Now I hate seafood... and my bowls of meat with a side of meat and an extra helping of meat came out tasting like calamari most the time I had dinner with Karen the few nights previous... here I made sure to go up when it was only mine and ricky'[s food on the grill. This helped immensely. Still, we both wanted to smack the crap out of the cooks and teach em how to do it right. Ah well.

So, the restaurant closes at 2pm on weekdays.. You heard me. So we left, all the while trying to figure out how these people run a business like that (They reopen for dinner... but it just seems weird). Around this time we decide to show Ricky my place and its a pretty nice place if I do say so myself. I've seen smaller condo's in jersey ;) Anyway, one of the weirdest things out here is how damn quick everything shuts down at 5pm. I wasn't sure Ricky understood I wasn't kidding. Its like the movie 'The Day After'. So I took him on foot down into downtown Louisville at 5:36pm.

At 6pm Ricky was suitably floored by the fact that the town was ostensibly, OFF. We walked through the various districts and in the middle of the main thoroughfares for car traffic... because we could. This is where I mentioned to ricky an idea. We sat down in the middle of one of the many parks in town, just across from city hall, and we formulated a diabolical plan. That plan to be unveiled on this website in the main area in about 4 weeks. Trust me, its precious. Todd would be proud ;)

On our way back, ricky remarked about how laid back even the business people seemed to be in this place, and he was right. No messenger bike peoples, no business types scurrying for a taxi or running about with huge briefcases and files or huge stress veins in their foreheads. Every woman we passed from the business district said a polite hello and the men acknowledged your presence at least without saying anything. It was, um... disconcerting to us Jersey folk.

So, we pretty much went back, drank some dew, ordered some pizza and introduced Ricky to my roommate Ben and hilarity ensued as they turned onto the Troma track of conversation.

Got back later that night at about 9 o'clock and talked a few minutes before I had to jet. All in all, as I mentioned to Ricky, it was a very therapeutic feeling to visit with Ricky. I've been down here around 3weeks so far and had really no one to share the "Oh My God's" and "What the Frells?" with. Someone that could appreciate the discontinuities in the social and urban habitats of Jersey and Kentucky. I've got friends and roommates here of course that can see where I'm coming from, but that's not quite the same thing. Sorry Guys ;)

Okay, moving on...

West Athen, Rubi-Ka

One of the cool things about this place is broadband and the wonderful high speed access to the planet Rubi-Ka courtesy of the wonderful folks at Funcom. IE- the people who bring us Anarchy Online.

One night I was just feeling depressed and disillusioned about the job situation and Kathy Nielson wanted to knwo if I wanted to chat. We were talking previusly about getting together in Anarchy Online, due to a free trial offer, but there were complications in her system at home with its cable connection. These complications properly sorted, Kathy and I agreed to meet up in Anarchy Online.

She signed in and found herself in West Athen. I was in Borealis at the time... As anyone who is familiar with the Arrogant Worms, 'Terri's Taxidermy and Mounted Animal Nature Trail' this was essentially like her being in Northen Alberta Canada while I was effectively in Georgia. So, and I mention this to give you an idea of the expanse, 45 minutes of running later on foot, I finally make it to Old Athen, and after some direction fixing and question asking, I finally make it out to where she is located out in West Athen.

I led her about the reservoir, there. We took a dip in the reservoir and the water was quite refreshing. Then I ran her up a hill, and showed her the view... Which is actually quite remarkable. I may add some screen caps later to illustrate. Anyway, we talked for a bit, we ran her back to her apt. and my spirits were raised significantly. All in all, mission accomplished. And I think it gave Kathy a nice few minutes away from the parental situation which is ongoing at her and steve's place for the next 3+ months.

Where The Hell Is My Riding Crop?

That's the question that pre-occupies my neurons (after looking fabulous). Well, its among the questions anyway and worries and what not. But really. I bought one, it would be nice to use it for nervous twitching.. or to make others twitch nervously.. heheh evil grin. Ah well, I suppose I'll search for it when done with this article. Which is ummm... right after I ask tony to send me some recipe's for good chinese food because the chinese food here SUCKS ASCII. So Tony.. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Send me a chinese angel.. right now..... ;)

And that's it from this blast. Catch you all next time with hopefully really good news all around :)

(c 2003, Lourdes C., Recreation Dept., Medical Division, USS Avenger NCC-1860)

Addendum: You can go to http://www.cafepress.com/lesravienne and help me out a little bit and get some darn funny swag. Make sure to share the link with your friends ;) This works better in mass ;)