July 27, 2004
Our Nation's Capital
I'm having a ball in Bethesda. It's hot and humid as fuck, and tonight I was treated to an awesome display of Mother Nature, the kind we just miss out on in sunny California. There was a big, brightly lit thunderstorm tonight. It was great. I sat in my room for a while, the lights off, my wine poured, watching the lightening, hearing the rain hit the windows. It was great. Then the satellite TV went out, and I had to retreat to the high-speed Internet connection of the lounge off the lobby. Why, in the 21st century, in a Hyatt no less, do we not have high-speed Internet in every room, if not wireless?! Please, people, let's think about it. At least it's free.
The work that I'm supposed to be doing is not being done. The contract research organization (CRO) is taking their own sweet time to get through it all, blaming it on their review time. What the fuck, people? Review time my ass. I hate CROs. They suck. We pay them to do the research that we can't do, they write up the reports, and that's that. But nine times out of ten, they're late, the reports are shittily formatted, and we waste our money. What's worse is that if we ask them to light a fire under their own asses, they charge us more for expediting a process to meet a deadline to which they agreed in a legally-binding contract. It's a scam. Every pharma out there that relies on CROs goes through the same thing. I hate them; they suck.
Except, this time, I get a day off to explore our nation's capital. I've never been out here before, and so I've decided to take the fifteen minute metro ride into DC and explore. I hope it's not raining. I've got it all mapped out, and no, I'm not spending the day in Dupont Circle. Now I'm wishing I had more time, and I'm wishing that the National Portrait Gallery was not closed; that sucks, too. I would love to see all of what's over there, and I'll have to be a little choosy tomorrow.
And OMG! What's up with not being able to buy wine at Safeway! And did you know there were Safeways in Maryland? I knew they were in London, so why shouldn't they be nationwide as well? I go aisle by aisle looking for a simple bottle of Cab, and no, "we don't sell wine here." I get a look like I just fell from Mercury or something. So I go in search of a liquor store. When I find it, it's a tiny little house-like structure on the corner of the street. It's all beat up on the outside, and I feel like I'm doing something illicit, like drinking wine is equal to commiting some kind of sex act, but then again, I don't consider sex acts to be illicit. Anyway...
I buy the Cab and hoof it back to the hotel. It's only about 80°F (27°C), but it's so humid, I'm drenched with sweat by the time I get back to the hotel, a mere two blocks away. How unseemly. I grew up in the midwest, knew people who showered three times a day during the summer, and have forgotten all of this. Even in California in August, I wear a coat. It's a different climate, a different culture. The men are cute, and it seems very tolerant and diverse here. That's cool. It should be.
Oh well. I'm getting kicked out of the lounge. They're closing and want to go home. I understand. Maybe I'll have a great report of the sites tomorrow.
Cheers.
