On the drive to work, it wasn’t as great.  I remember having “woe is me”-type thoughts when I noticed some extra sad song coming from my iPod.  To be clear any song about being in love or losing love are now classified as sad.  I thought “Why am I listening to this sad a$$ song?” and hit the forward button.  The next thing I see is brake lights – the kind that are right in your face because traffic has literally stopped.  I don’t remember how fast I was going but I will say that average speed on the beltway is 75 mph.  I slammed on brakes too watching the cars in front of me veer left into the shoulder.  I needed to see what was going on before I veered left too because I didn’t want to hit those cars in front of me.  Then I saw it.  There was a guy in an old Oldsmobile going diagonally across the lanes in the WRONG direction parting traffic.  We were close enough to each other that I could see that the guy was screaming.  I don’t know what had happened that caused him to be going in the wrong direction on the beltway but I do know that had any of us hit him there would have been a terrible multiple car accident.  At the speeds we were going, I’m not sure how many of us would have survived it.

For the past few weeks I’ve been trying to hold back that first tear (in public anyway) while I watched a “relationship” I wanted deteriorate.  I wondered how I was going to get through this, how I was going to “survive”.  At this moment though, all of that was put into perspective.  Obviously, my life was not over.  God isn’t done with me yet.  There are so many things left to see and do.

My outlook was almost instantly changed.  I am still hurt and disappointed.  I still miss him.  But it’s not that serious.  This is but a minor setback in the grand scheme that is my life.  The pity party is over.  Thanks to all who came though.

Possibly Related Posts:

• January 21, 2012 -- Dating With Friends
• November 13, 2011 -- Dating in the 21st Century?
• May 7, 2011 -- Love on the Open Road … or The Opposite of Road Rage
• October 29, 2010 -- Road Rage
• October 27, 2010 -- Conversation With a Snooper/Stalker

Sanchez also talked about the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program and invited submissions of haiku about peace to be included in the mural.

Here’s a snippet of the talk:

The theme of GW’s 2012 Black Heritage Celebration “Bleeding Black” is meant to evoke discussions about the continuing struggles and triumphs of people of African decent in the Americas. The events inspired by this theme are meant to stimulate a number of complex conversations including: the formulation of Black masculinity; AfroLatinidad or the relationship between Africa and Latin America and Pan-African identity in different Latino communities; the role of art and performance in Blackness; social activism; and the role of love in film and society.

More information about events scheduled as part of the celebration is available at: http://gwired.gwu.edu/mssc/ghc

Possibly Related Posts:

• August 29, 2007 -- Black American culture does not fit new African immigrants
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Today’s Autoweek’s Vinsetta Garage on the Velocity Channel will have a segment on the Autoweek America Adventure.  Air time is 8:30 p.m. Eastern.  Maybe I’ll be in there somewhere.  Set your DVRs! (so I can watch it)

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Later we scheduled a second date. It got cancelled twice (once because of his work and again because what he wanted to do was logistically impossible) before his vacation in L.A. The next communication I received from him when he returned from L.A. was asking me to play him in Words With Friends. We continued to play for months until I asked myself why I was wasting time playing this game with this person whose contact information I had already deleted.

I actually laughed out loud when I saw that a couple who met on Words With Friends actually got married. I guess anything can happen.  Heck, Words With Friends could help save your life.

Possibly Related Posts:

• February 3, 2012 -- And Just Like That, Perspective
• November 13, 2011 -- Dating in the 21st Century?
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Tonight is the premiere of Autoweek’s Vinsetta Garage on the Velocity Channel (formerly Discovery HD Theater) at 8:30 p.m. Eastern.  The show will feature highlights from this year’s Autoweek America Adventure.  You might remember that I competed in the rally race at the end of October through beginning of November.  I don’t know whether I will be on the show but it could happen.  Check your listings for the proper channel.

Now I need to find a way to watch this since I don’t have that channel.

Update: The show with the America Adventure segment will air on January 24.

Possibly Related Posts:

• January 24, 2012 -- Tonight’s the Night! Autoweek’s America Adventure Will Be on TV #AWAdventure
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• November 1, 2011 -- #AWAdventure Day 5 Recap
• October 31, 2011 -- #AWAdventure Day 4 Recap
• October 29, 2011 -- #AWAdventure Day 3 Recap

Fast forward to a few months ago when this guy follows me on Twitter.  There is nothing common on my social media and dating sites profiles.  I don’t use the same user id, the same text or even the same photos.  So I was a bit alarmed.  I tell the guy that I recognized him from the dating site in case he didn’t know I was the same person.  He tells me that he knew it was me and that he had looked for me on the dating site but I was no longer there.

When I ask more details about how he found me he said that Foursquare had recommended that he follow a list of performing arts venues that I have on there.  (I had no idea Foursquare was doing that.)  He says he recognized my smile and decided to follow me on Twitter.  He said he was glad for another opportunity to connect since I’m no longer on dating sites.  We talked in Twitter direct messages for about a week.  During that time, he also friended me on Foursquare and sent a friend request on Facebook.  He talked about my blog posts and even would bring up where I was.  Even though I post a lot on the internets I was a little unnerved by that.

We ended up meeting and going to an arts festival in Alexandria.  The date was okay given that we attended an outdoor festival on a rainy, cold day and he mentioned a second date.  Then the next week he unfriended me on all social media.

Possibly Related Posts:

• February 3, 2012 -- And Just Like That, Perspective
• January 21, 2012 -- Dating With Friends
• October 27, 2010 -- Conversation With a Snooper/Stalker
• April 23, 2009 -- What Internet Vigilance Looks Like
• April 14, 2009 -- Take Internet Threats Seriously

On our last day of The America Adventure, we left Death Valley, California in a convoy headed for Las Vegas. We had to make it to the SEMA show by noon to complete our last mission.

From the site:

The SEMA Show is the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world. It draws the industry’s brightest minds and hottest products to one place, the Las Vegas Convention Center.

SEMA is huge. It takes up the entire Las Vegas Convention Center which includes the North, Central and South Halls. The last mission was a scavenger hunt. We were to find Mopar products cards at booths all over the convention center. I ran (or rather power walked) all over that convention center. We figured that the cards were at booths belonging to America Adventure sponsors. By the time we reached them, however, all the cards were gone.

Team Plum Floored won the scavenger hunt and a second key. It was now time to give to Mopar 11 away. Several teams tried their keys but it was the Flying Baldini Brothers (and Kaylie) that won the car.

While we did not win the car, this was a remarkable experience. With the challenges, the trip itself and the people I met, I would consider this one of the best trips I’ve been on. I mean that sincerely. I would consider doing the Adventure again and am thankful that Autoweek chose us for this experience.

The Aftermath: Scrape Peel Scrape

So later that evening we ended up at Fry’s (it’s a geek thing) and decided to start peeling stickers off the car right there. My fingers still hurt. The night was finished with a quick bite at Wolfgang Puck right the MGM Grand where we were staying as I had to be up for an early flight.

I have a ton of photos and videos to post so stay tuned.

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• October 29, 2011 -- #AWAdventure Day 3 Recap
• October 28, 2011 -- #AWAdventure Day 2 Recap

Today was a day with 8 hours of driving.  In the spirit of Halloween, our theme today was ghosts.  We figured out our clues most expeditiously and headed from Reno to Virginia City, Nevada (Bonanza theme music playing in my head) to get a picture of the Suicide Table on display in the Delta Saloon.  Apparently three different guys played poker at this table, lost all their money and committed suicide.

From there it was off to Yerington, Nevada to do a Ghost Dance a monument dedicated to Wovoka, the Northern Paiute religious leader that founded the Ghost Dance movement.  Then we were off to Tonopah in search of the ghost of “The Lady in Red” in the Mizpah Hotel.  Our last stop on the way to Death Valley was the Bottle House in the ghost town of Rhyolite just before the California border.  GPS was absolutely no good at this point but we pulled it off.  We stopped at a gas station and my iPad miraculously knew where it was and I was able to find Rhyolite on the map.

Beautiful Nevada

We can see ourselves!

Our finish line was the Furnace Creek Ranch with has its own ghost stories.  On the way to Death Valley when getting onto US 190, the GPS told us to go right instead of left.  We were past Stovepipe Wells when we realized that something was amiss.  I’m not sure how much time was added because of this misstep but we did not make our time window. We missed it by 9 minutes.  We were good on most other points except that we still needed to upload another video to YouTube video.  Cell phone coverage was sketchy a good deal of the way to Death Valley so it was difficult to get another video up.  Most disappointing though is that our Bottle House bonus was revoked because some other teams had convinced a groundskeeper to let them inside the locked fence to pose for their photos on the porch of the Bottle House.  It was a good day overall but we were definitely disappointed.  There’s only one day left and we’re coming at it hard.

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• October 29, 2011 -- #AWAdventure Day 3 Recap
• October 28, 2011 -- #AWAdventure Day 2 Recap

Yesterday was our best day so far but we only have two days left for scoring. It was certainly our most adventurous day as well. We started out in Santa Rosa and headed to Sacramento for go-kart racing at RPM Indoor Kart Racing. I knew this was a serious event when they handed me a head sock. Next we had to suit up. The best times for the team were used for scoring. I’ll tell you, I’ve done well go-karting with coworkers but we have professional racers in this rally. From there we stopped at the Eagle Theater in Sacramento and a statue of former Vice President Schuyler Colfax in Colfax, California. Then we headed to Reno, Nevada for a quickie marriage and divorce or at least photographic evidence of the marriage and divorce. Don’t worry no vows were exchanged; I’m still on the market. After that we headed to the end of the USA Parkway in Clark, Nevada for Baja racing and Traxxas R/C racing. John did the Baja and I did the Traxxas. I can’t remember the last time I did R/C anything – maybe as a teenager with my little brother. I didn’t do that well but neither did a lot of folks. We ended up back in Reno at the El Dorado Hotel where John hung out in the casino while I passed out. I had every intention of writing a blog post last night but it didn’t happen. I barely made sure to charge all my devices. Today we’ll end up in Death Valley. You’ll hear from me again then.

Possibly Related Posts:

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• November 2, 2011 -- #AWAdventure Day 6 (Final) Recap
• November 1, 2011 -- #AWAdventure Day 5 Recap
• October 28, 2011 -- #AWAdventure Day 2 Recap

Photos:

Our next stop was Thunderhills Raceway Park in Willows, California. I don’t think you’re supposed to take rental cars onto racetracks but that’s what happened for a lot of teams (sidesteps whether we did or not). At any rate, the Lincoln MKZ that we’re driving did 23.4 seconds on a 18 second autocross course. The race track was awesome too though I didn’t drive on it.

Videos:

Open Road, Beautiful Views

Autocross in an SUV!

After lunch at the raceway, we headed south to wine country. We visited three wineries: Castello di Armorosa in Calistoga, Merryvale Vineyards in St. Helena and Kundle Family Estates in Kenwood. Castello di Amorosa was especially neat because as the name indicates it’s a castle. We weren’t sanctioned to participate in tasting but at all three wineries the gettag that we needed to scan was situated right beside someone tempting us to taste. The finish line was of course another winery St. Francis Winery in Santa Rosa.

I must say that it’s great to sit at the table to dinner and laugh and joke with the pros that are in this rally especially since there was no walk of shame involved.  I’m deeply honored. Here’s to many more good days.

Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TeamSocialFTW and on Flickr at http://flickr.com/groups/TeamSocialFTW.

Possibly Related Posts:

• October 31, 2011 -- #AWAdventure Day 4 Recap
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• November 2, 2011 -- #AWAdventure Day 6 (Final) Recap
• November 1, 2011 -- #AWAdventure Day 5 Recap