It's okay, I'm an honorary Asian!

Lance Armstrong won his seventh (and final) Tour de France! The guy is just too cool, and although I'm not really a sports person, you can't help but have tremendous respect for him and his journey. I remember the summer I was in France, when my host brothers and I kept the TV on the Tour all day, every day, until it was over. This wasn't hard to do since all of the major channels (think Olympic coverage, here) had every conceivable camera angle and commentator to keep viewers in the know. I was actually in Paris--changing trains on the TGV to get from my host town to Nice--the day Lance won that year (the fifth Tour), and it was a madhouse! Oh, such good times.

All this business in London about the subways has me a little bit paranoid. I mean, obviously I'm not afraid to get on the Metro or anything--otherwise I'd never get to work--but I've found myself keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. The other day I got on the Metro at the end of the Orange line and there was this woman on the train when I got on who'd been there since it arrived, implying that she'd come from the other direction and was now about to head back since this was the end of the line. She had this huge suitcase that she had pulled close to her and she was drumming her fingers on top of it while staring into space. Something about it just made me feel so squirrelly that I got off that car and moved two cars back; another guy followed suit with me, so I wasn't the only one freaked out. After another couple seconds I saw the woman exit the train and head down the stairs with her suitcase--I guess she just spaced out and didn't realize it was the end of the line--but it still left me a little on edge and more importantly, a bit guilty. Why didn't I say something to a Metro person? I felt like such an irresponsible commuter, just looking out for my own skin and neglecting everyone else's safety. I guess I just kept telling myself that she wasn't really a threat and that I was being silly by being so freaked out, but why would I have changed cars if I thought there wasn't a problem? Gah. It's like right after 9/11 when the Blue Angels and other military aircraft would fly low over Annapolis and the entire building where I worked in Eastport (right near downtown Annapolis, adjacent to the Naval Academy) would move and I'd get chills down my spine ever time it happened. I get all PTSD sometimes, I'm such a neurotic mess.

DL (Darth Lappie) is being nursed back to health by Han's sister, for which I am eternally grateful. She is an awesome Minister of Sushi Affairs. I've been feeling quite deprived of my late-night fanfic and convo sessions with Han, and not having the lappie is impeding the process of starting the Tantric Buddhist Sexpot clothing line, so I will be fantastically happpy when I get DL back.

Lacey's surprise party that isn't really a surprise is tonight, and I'm excited. It's quite the good excuse to get all of the femme fatales together for one last hurrah before the end of the summer (and when Lacey's family moves to Oregon). I'm not too worried about keeping in touch with Lacey--I love going up to NYU to visit her during the school year, it's the best city ever--and we'd already come to terms with the fact that she'd be spending this entire year abroad in France and Spain, anyway. But, it'll be a fun night, and we'll make the most of the evening, I'm sure!