. lightspeed university girls - I’m strangely proud of that one.

. swedish swears - Why would that lead here, fy fan i helvete!!!?

. blivit pounds - FYI, a “blivit” is two pounds of shit in a one-pound bag (Kurt Vonnegut, Palm Sunday).

. pee bladder embarrassed desperate - Hope my effusions about reheated spaghetti and dating in Sweden helped you with that, buddy.

. celebrities afraid of going broke - A little too much time on your hands, perhaps?

. lightspeed faith - I’ll say it again: God bless the Internet.

. hitchcock chairs - What the hell does that mean?

. lexus anal scene - Still my undefeated, all-time favorite.

Greetings from Baltimore all, thanks for checking in despite my long absence.

A while back I blogged about the horrible service one actually gets in the customer service department of so many businesses (July 17th). I cited Future Shop as a prime example. I thought it was only fair I mention when I get good service somewhere, so here goes.

As you know I’ve been pretty down and depressed about having to travel for work so much lately. I got home from Baltimore Friday evening, and already this morning I was on an airplane on my way back there, yuck. Trying to cram my whole personal life into 48 weekend hours doesn’t work too well, and the fact that I basically didn’t even unpack made me feel like I was still at the hotel, even during those precious hours at home.

All this to say that on the airplane this morning, my mood was a little morose. I was sad about leaving everyone behind, and felt a little alone. Leaning my head against the cabin wall with my eyes shut, I was desperately trying to catch up on some sleep, but I was also freezing, like I invariably do on airplanes.

Anyway, all of a sudden, things went dark and I felt something on me. The steward, believe it or not, had shut my window blind and was covering me with blankets, even though I was already wearing a turtleneck. On this cold, bleak morning, a total stranger was tucking me in! I know it’s his job, but he didn’t have to. I appeared to be sleeping already.

That’s all it took. It’s only four evenings before I get back home on Friday. I can do this, I told myself, and then I fell into a warm, happy sleep.

(This blog was brought to you by Air Canada).

Saw Woody Allen’s latest movie, Hollywood Ending, on the plane home. Excellent movie, but I was a little embarrassed about being the only person laughing out loud on the plane. Anyway.

I was thinking about how Woody’s love interests in his movies are always the hottest chicks, despite his own appearance. Most people agree that wit and intelligence make up for a less than alluring physique, but I just wonder how strong that effect is. Is there a point where no amount of sparkling personality will bail you out?

A few weeks ago at swing someone told me that when you meet someone for the first time, what they say only accounts for 7% of your first impression of them. In my opinion, this may be due to the fact that when meeting for the first time, most people say pretty much the same things, so there isn’t much distinction between one person and another in that respect. I don’t take it to mean that physique is 93%.

On the other hand, if you include not just looks, but also demeanor, body language, tone of voice, attitude and even smell in physique, then the importance of physical attractiveness climbs dramatically, if you ask me. In my own experience, those factors put together can definitely constitute a deal breaker which no amount of mental compatibility can overcome. Is it just me?

And here’s another interesting question: is the effect the same for both genders? In other words, is physique more important for one of the genders than for the other?

So I come in to work yesterday morning, thrilled to be home after a week away on vacation. I wasn’t in the office one minute, when I’m told I’m being sent away for six weeks to Baltimore. I negotiated it down to four.

It used to be a perk, but I don’t like the fact that my job requires me to travel anymore. I guess things have just been going well for me at home recently.

Barcelona was colorful, surprising, soothing and exciting all at once. It’s good to have been away, and Montreal is a wonderful city to come home to. I feel happy, fulfilled and inspired. It’s good to be home.