Monday, November 22, 2010

When brains fart

I did one of the most professionally embarrassing things today, and the only blame that I can find is having a brain fart.

This weekend has been immensely busy with family coming from all over for Little June's baptism, which was this weekend. Because of that, I had postponed a professional engagement from the weekend to Monday. So the weekend was packed to the gills prepping for the baptism, doing it, having the reception party, etc.

Monday was to be a packed day.

First I had to drop off my cousins at the National Mall for a few hours so that I could go and do some work (more on that later). From there, my plans was to pick them off after I was done, then drop them off at national for their flight back to Miami, and then head off to Alexandria to do my professional engagement job (I'm too embarrassed to tell you what it was).

So, I braved late afternoon DC traffic, picked them off across the street from that weird flaming gold sword sculpture on Constitution Avenue (between 16th & 17th I think), turned right on 14th street, crossed the 14th street bridge relaying the Greaseman's bad taste radio joke about Air Florida that got him fired, dropped them off at National, and then... instead of getting back onto George Washington Parkway for a nice, easy short drive to Old Town Alexandria, as it had been my plan... the cell phone rings, and I pick it up. And then my brain goes onto another realm and I go on automatic and start driving home.

After brutal traffic at that time, I get home to discover, to my horror, that I had skipped on a very special task that I had been looking forward to for the longest time.

Feh! Seldom has a man been so embarrassed without at least a decent excuse.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wasn't the Greaseman. It was Howard Stern. And he wasn't fired until later that year. He was suspended, though.

Rogerrr said...

yup...the Greaseman made the "drag them behind trucks" remark

I FORGOT to go to a meeting at the Smithsonian once...oops

I FORGOT about a midterm once and went flying bacuase the weather was great...but it was a meteorology class and the prof accepted the explanation & let me take the test anyway

Anonymous said...

I'm sure that you were upset at your brain fart but I found this remark, "that wierd flaming gold sword sculpture on Constitution" reckless.

"The Second Division Memorial in Washington DC was designed as a memorial to honor the 17,660 that served and lost their lives in the Second Division of the United States Army. It had its first dedication ceremony in 1936. It was originally built just to memorialize and honor the Second Division from World War I, but since then, two additions have been made. One was to honor the World War II victims and the other for those that died in the Korean conflict. After these additions, there was another dedication ceremony in 1962. The deceased soldiers from World War II are inscribed on the West end with the Korean War on the east side.

The center of the large doorway is made of granite shaft with two wreaths flanking the entrance and carved in relief. You'll also see an 18-foot high flaming sword guarding the doorway. This sword is a symbolic measure signifying the German's entry to Paris being blocked. On the handle of the sword, you will find an Indian head inside a star, which is the insignia for the Second Division. The wings that you see on each side of the gateway are for the additions that were added to pay memorial to the other wars. Many people visit this memorial each year, especially on the holidays designated for paying tribute."

Lenny said...

Anon...
You are right and as a veteran I should know better. My apologies to all of the men that it honors...