holy shit, this is (if accurate) very enlightening.(with a thanks to Comte)

http://www.costofwar.com/

b of all:

I've JUST checked into my hotel room.

It's early, and I'm on the can.

It's a nice room. well appointed.

from my throne, I hear the 'knock knock knock'... "housekeeping"... and someone comes in. (good thing I've got the door closed, because the 'loo is right next to the door. again she calls out "Housekeeping"

and I say

"I've just checked in, the rooms already cleaned"

she says:

"I'm just dropping something off."

hmmm.... OK, well, I've got all my bags, I looked at the mini bar when I checked in, and it seems to be stocked... what could she be 'dropping off'... maybe a mint for the pillow? or possibly the Stripper that BenLau sent for me?

a moment later, she's gone, and a few later again and I'm done with my business, and come out into the room...

and sitting on the desk is a fishbowl with a Japanese Fighting Fish in it.

how fuckin' cool is that?

I'm calling him Stan, cause he looks like my 11th Grade English teacher, Stanley Sloame.

a of all:

I'm in NYC, hoping to accomplish many things on this trip. Very much looking forward to seeing a woman I met a short while back and get to know her a little better.

and here's where I'm a bit confused, I sent her an email with my schedule the other day, and she calls and leaves a message on my cel phone (seemingly a good sign) while I'm on the plane. She said:

"I'd be happy to meet you this week."

NOT.

"I look forward to seeing you."

NOT.

"It'd be great to see you."

but "I'd be happy to meet you."

now, we've yet to make our schedules mesh, so who knows for sure.... but this seems like a specific choice of words, the parsing of a socially constructed barrier to flirting. Which is odd, because a month ago we were TOATALLY CHECKING EACH OTHER OUT, and maybe I was smoking Ozzy Crack or something, but we already began a flirting process, and it was promising.

so, does this formal distance strike anyone else as odd?

or am I over reacting?

gulp.

that really WAS Marla Bertmeyer at the Issaquah Krispy Creme saturday night, wasn't it.


christ.