That didn't take long

After about three emails, the Playboy offered up the line(s) that I was expecting to eventually hear:

We’re both close to our families, ambitious, fiscally conservative but socially liberal, I never saw you have a bad temper or be a compulsive liar. Those are the big ones for me. I contacted you because after turning 30 I’ve reflected and couldn’t understand why I didn’t try harder the last time we were seeing each other.

Then there was this for the gravy:

I don’t care about that stuff anymore and I have a different career now. If we start hanging out again It’ll be very different this time. This is a round about apology for me not trying harder in the past.

I never truly bought my best friends explanation that he cheated on her. Playboy claimed that they had different ideals, and he knew it wasn't going to go anywhere.

It's easy to say these things to someone via email. I never was 100% convinced of his sincerity, even when we went to dinner (which according to him was 4 years ago). Yet, there must have been something about me that compelled him to contact me after all these years (and I don't think it was that I'm gullible).

*sigh* Why couldn't he have turned 30 last year. I would have had time to figure out his sincerity and then move on to my boyfriend since we didn't meet until the summer.

I need to stop being an emotional sap (for starters). I should put my foot down, and say that four years ago you dropped off the face of the earth. You obviously found me again now, you should have done it then.

Then there's the argument he wasn't emotionally ready. I can understand that, so I'm back to being confused.

Help.

Was it the hormones, or something else?

This week I couldn't help but notice that my new bras were terribly uncomfortable. So I found my fabric tape measurer and took my measurements again. Yup, according to this, I'm back to my original size of a few months ago.

When I realized that I was a larger bra size, I was a bit upset about it. I thought that it was in part because I was gaining weight. So I kept all my smaller bras, and vowed that if it was because of a weight thing, I was going to find a way back into them.

So I took my older bras out of their storage space this morning. They seem to fit fine - the true test will be how it feels at the end of the day.

Funny thing is that I don't think I've lost enough weight to account for the missing two inches around my torso. I think I've lost a few pounds. But I don't obsess about weight, and I don't keep a scale. When I go in for my annual in about three weeks, they'll weigh me and then I'll know for sure.

So was it simply raging hormones that pumped up my chest for a spat, then subsided? I don't know.

the Playboy returns

Okay, call it creepy. Call it strange. Call it whatever you want (I'm still trying to think of the most appropiate word).

When my best friend and I started college, I was living in a co-ed dorm, and she chose a female only dorm. (She liked that her dorm room had its own sink.) There was this guy that lived in my dorm that I'll call the Playboy. Sure I thought he was cute, but of course he was interested in my best friend and his roommate had an interest in me (that I didn't share back).

Anyway, Playboy dated my best friend a couple times than broke it off with her. She says he cheated on her, and we agreed he was a loser.

Fast forward a few years. I move to a different dorm the next year, and never hear what happened to Playboy. Best friend moved up to Phoenix area. I graduated from the University and started work in a lab. Then kind of out of the blue, I get an email from Playboy. He was working as a pilot, and wanted to take me to dinner sometime when I was in Phoenix.

Best friend and I were not in frequent communication. I mentioned to her that Playboy wanted to take me out for dinner, and she went a bit nuts. She warned me that he was a big loser, and I shouldn't waste my time, he'll just use me etc. I think in part I accepted the dinner because I was mad at her for saying that, and I thought she was a bit jealous.

By this time, I was having to take heavy doses of anti-epileptics and pain medicine to get by. I had one margarita with dinner, and got sick afterwards. I remember that it was an okay date until that happened. I mostly remember the humiliation and embarrassment of getting so sick after one drink. Since I didn't hear from him again after that, I figured he didn't want anything to do with me. Fine, I didn't invest anything into it, and I got a free dinner (that I threw up). No harm, no foul.

Best friend kind of tried to say "told you so". Which pissed me off more. I didn't feel he used me in any way, I didn't have my heart broken, no sexual relations, so no big deal.

So we stopped talking for a few years. Then we got back in touch with one another just before she got married, so I went to her wedding. We got more in touch with one another since then. And she set me up with her husband's cousin - and I so thank her for doing that!!

Now that I've spilled the entire history of the Playboy that dated both of us, there's a reason for this. I get an email today from the Playboy. It was sent to the address listed in the phonebook search. So he must have done a search for my name in the University directory and decided to email me. I'm honestly surprised since I didn't remember his last name. I double checked the headers, and it was sent only to me.

It was a generic email. He said he just turned 30, and was just getting in touch with "old friends" (*laughs*). Had a change in carreer paths, working in the valley. etc. etc. He left his phone number - I don't know if he is seriously expecting me to call him or not.

Too bad I'll eventually tell him that while I'm touched he still thought to contact me after all these years, I'm happily committed in a relationship. Perhaps I'll tell him over a dinner.

I did send a reply back. Didn't say anything informative - happy he found a line of work that he seems happier with, etc.

Talk about your blasts from the pasts - my boyfriend's going to love this.

Now if only my college friend that I emailed this week would get back to me.....

A level too low

Okay, the latest charges railed against the South Korean cloner are a bit harder to wave away as ethical problems. If proven correctly, photos in the paper he published claiming there from different genetic donors may have been from the same donor.

The simple explanation (if true) is that he exaggerated his data.

If true, this will be the final nail in his coffin. No reputable institution will hire him. No decent granting agency will fund him.

This sure brings back the memories of the Dr. Kay fallout. She was the biggest money maker for our department, bringing in millions of grant dollars, and publishing quite often. Then a former technician revealed that most of her data was fabricated. The result was a prolonged struggle between the department head at the time who supported her, and the rest of the scientific field that essentially blacklisted her. Eventually she was released from the University (quietly), and her lab space and equipment given away.

Just when things couldn't get much worse for the South Korean cloner, they sunk to a new low. Honestly, if I was a part of that paper, I would have tripled check every aspect of that paper because the implications would cause international attention and criticism. I can't fault him for not thinking this was a significant discovery, but everyone knows bad things will happen if you represent data as something that it isn't. We'll see what happens.

No more shopping!

A coworker suggested I try Linens and Things, and I lucked out there big time. Not only did I find a gift for this helpful co-worker, I found the type of towels my mom wants. And I picked up a pair of those special potholders that are silicone based (for the little bit of oven cooking she does do).

Now

I

Am

Officially

Done

With

Christmas

Shopping




Of course my living room is a disaster zone with piles of bags of present put wherever I could find room. If I actually am productive and have time tonight after making the potluck food, I'll actually start wrapping presents.

And much to my surprise this AM, there was not a single ornament on the floor. Maybe it has something to do with the new style of ornament hangers I got.