So, several orders of business today.
My husband is racing his first season of cyclocross. Cyclocross is a terribly, terribly awesome sport in which cyclists dismount their bikes to carry them over hurdles, run their bikes up big sandy hills, slog through mud, avoid maddened hornets, crash into each other, get lost, dress funny, etc. Spectators scream and ring cowbells and drink beer and yell with abandon. I am Richard’s most important (and only) crew member. I wipe the mud off him after his race and help him remember things like his helmet and shoes.
Here is a photo of Richard going over some barriers. I particularly like this photo because Richard is glancing to the side while in mid-air. At first I thought this was because he was checking out what was to come around the turn ahead, but now I like to imagine it is a sideways glance of annoyance– almost an eye-roll– that a junior is passing him in the race. Those juniors are crazy fast. I also like this photo because Richard appears to be an amputee– I am glad he isn’t, but maybe people who don’t know him will see this photo and be impressed.
I would like to mention that the lab I work for got an automated espresso machine last week, and I think it has probably already paid for itself through increased morale and productivity. I expect the novelty to wear off, but for the time being it’s cool to see all my coworkers even more highly caffeinated than usual, a bright glow on their faces every time they regard their new chrome-and-plastic friend.
Perhaps it is because of this espresso machine that one of my new “hobbies” at work is sending a fax to the Italian Consulate General in San Francisco every day, inquiring about the status of a visa I’m helping someone apply for. As an administrative assistant (Day Job), I know first hand that the best way to get an admin person to do something is to respectfully and repeatedly bug them about it. If you are in a position to require assistance from an admin person, I suggest you do it with congeniality and persistence. They won’t mind!
And that is the end of my caffeine-addled monologue.
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