Reflections on the past

This morning I ran into an old "friend" on my way in to work. The two of us worked together as law clerks and were involved in the same after school activities, but we weren't really very close. We spent a brief few moments catching up, including her recent engagement to an old co-worker of mine. For some reason seeing her made me think about the different paths our lives had taken. It also brought out all my insecurities. Seeing people from the past can do that to you. I wondered what she was going to say about me to our classmates who she keeps in touch with, or her fiance. Which is silly, and a bit egotistical since I'm sure seeing me was hardly a blip on her register, but all the same it's hard to shake that nagging feeling that people are talking about you.

Fittingly, today we spent our Tuesday lunch at the Museum of Natural History, looking back in time. The neatest thing about this museum is that it really features the history of San Diego. It's crazy to think that at one point in time there were zebras, mastedons, and dinosaurs that lived where I lived during law school....well, right by where I live. I don't think my complex was around back then.

I think there's some sort of rule that a Natural History Museum has to have a giant dinosaur in the main entrance. It's written in the "So you want to open a Natural History Museum" guidebook. Right after the chapter entitled "Do or Diorama"

The water exhibit had a demonstration where you used your physical strength to power a faucet. Check out the stream of water this kid has going!

Thatboy had to get in on the action - but notice the decidedly smaller stream of water. Kinda embarassing don't you think? Sure would't want to be married to that guy...oh...wait...


I've heard that there are whales to be sighted in San Diego. In the past five years I have yet to see one. I guess they hang out when I'm not around. Thatboy used to see them in college on his way to the beach for surfing. Frankly I don't think I'd get into the water after spotting a whale in there. I have a hard enough time understanding how he can surf just a couple feet from dolphins. I mean, sure I hear they're friendly and I'm thrilled to bits to watch them from the shore - but those things are PURE MUSCLE and I'm not quite sure that they understand that "play" might also mean "kill" in certain circumstance.


This is probably only funny to a very select few. Let me put it this way - Thatboy was NOT amused, but I couldn't help myself. I decided that I should quit my job and pursue a career as a magnetic poet.


Thatboy insisted that this was a mystery animal. Even though the sign identified it as Harlan's Ground Sloth. This guy lived in San Diego...back when he lived. Now the ground sloth has gone the way of the dodo, the saber tooth tiger, and the unicorn. All we've got now are tree sloths, and the only ones that live in San Diego are the ones in the zoo.

Thatboys work anxieties as well as the big decision I'm currently facing prompted a discussion as to whether we would have made the same choices if we had to do it all over again. We talked about decisions we had made and the impact they've had on our lives, but we also looked to the future and the choices we'll make to ensure we don't become overwhelmed by those decisions. It was a pretty productive lunch. I like to leave Thatboy with some positive thoughts since he tends to get bogged down by the negative fairly easily.

And since I like to leave you with some positive thoughts too I'll share with you an interesting tidbit I learned about Thatboy's typical workday. Thatboy's office isn't in a typical office building. Instead, they work in a house, with each office being a different "room." It makes for a very interesting workplace as Thatboy's office has a beautiful bay window...which apparently looks into a brothel. Thatboy informed me tonight on our way home that he thinks the house next to him pays young women to live there and film themselves in sexual acts. Apparently on more than one occasion he's looked over to see young women making out with each other while watching a computer screen and changing positions accordingly. Today the girls weren't wearing pants - just shirts and underwear. I asked Thatboy how he was able to work if he was spending his days oogling half dressed women and he admitted that they "make it very hard to concentrate" on work. Yeah...I bet. Well, at least now I have an explanation if Thatboy is ever late picking me up on carpool days.