Friday, 09 November 2001 | Noisy prom dress

So I'm staying in a tall hotel in Alexandria with broken elevators, scientists, and aging, decorated military (none of which I am, by the way). I guess I am sort of part of the scientists, though only by association. A couple hours ago I found myself at a banquet for the American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology, though Ingo and I didn't stay for the entire event. On our way to dinner, we waited ten minutes for the elevator (which never came) next to a pacing woman wearing a noisy turquoise prom dress who was singing la-la-la to herself the whole time we waited. Finally we bolted for the stairs, followed by the trilling and swish swish of the shifting taffeta from behind. Before we could make it to the lobby, the stairs abruptly stopped, and a pack of us (including the turquoise lady) were stuck in a tiny space surrounded by doors that seemed to go nowhere. After opening various doors and walking in circles, we managed to maneuver our way down and through a crowd of stiff-backed military. As dinner ended, the singing woman reappeared and...oh my, she sang opera for us in front of an entirely unnecessary microphone. I had to tilt my head and press my ear to my shoulder to block out some of the high notes.

***

Twenty-seven yesterday, the age rock stars tend to die. So I guess it's good I'm not a rock star.

I'm spending the weekend in the D.C., so my next post will be from there. I haven't packed and I'm late and my room and head are chaotic, but the weather is perfect and my car is running mysteriously well.