Happy New Year!

ARLINGTON, VA.—Yesterday after a flight delay in Detroit due to mechanical problems, I finally arrived in D.C., two hours later than scheduled. But no bother, Thom was there to pick me up at the airport and welcome me home. That afternoon, after he came back from work, we took a nap, and I woke up with quite a start at some time past 6 in the evening. I just get so disoriented when I go to sleep during the day and wake up after dark, you know? And maybe the darkness had also momentarily fooled me into thinking I might’ve slept into the new year.

A few of my college buddies were in town, so we decided to have a little reunion. Thom and I went to meet up with Rebecca, Jeff, and Subarna at an Ethiopian restaurant in Adams-Morgan called Meskerem—mmm, really great food and ambience—and afterwards we headed east of Dupont to the Helix Lounge for drinks. It’s a small bar, and was really crowded. (It’s sort of funny to look at their website with the picture of the lounge empty. Ah, so that’s what it looks like. I couldn’t tell last night, with all the people in the way. Heh.) As the new year approached, we went out into the street, greeting strangers “happy new year” (and in my case, just “woo! woo!”, and Thom admirably, “manigong bagong taon”) and searching the sky for fireworks. There were none. You’d think there would be; this is the nation’s capital, no? Anyway, good times.

And now your moment of zen: as I look back on 2003, I want to thank my Rebel Prince readers—you few, you happy few—for helping to make my online journaling experience worthwhile, and I wish you all the best in 2004. Cheers!