One More Night

It’s the first Thursday of the month which means it’s Russia night, I have my Sister-Cities meeting so I am having to pace myself. I will hang out after work for two hours until the meeting starts at 7:00. Why do these folks have to have a meeting which begins at 7:00? It’s usually just three or four of us now and I know we all could meet at anytime we want. I might bring up the idea of meeting during the day or right after work would even be better then waiting two hours.

Boy, I really hate this meeting. I just did a “search “this blog”’ and I think I bitch and moan about this meeting every month. How shallow does that make me? Truly the group is made of very interesting folks, some I feel are a little questionable and a little spooky but for the most part very interesting. Jennifer is the leader of this campaign. Jennifer is a middle-aging “raw raw girl”. You can see she was a beautiful cheerleader type—most likely married the varsity guy or head geek—I think it’s the head geek . It’s the head geek anymore who the cheerleaders go for more chance of scoring the big bucks—screw the gene pool you can always buy brilliant, happy Asian children straight from Red-China and still make a great contribution if making a contribution is important.

Jennifer is “Typ-A” all the way. She runs her own “travel business” for European tours. Her husband has some sort of hot shot job too though he is a bit shadowy. I think I have only met him once. There kids are in the process of being either grown and beginning to hatch out little” Jennifers” now—I think Jennifer has one grandchild at present . She is also a Mormon mom which adds all kinds of additional variables to the equation, so, add at least one kid on a full-time mission and possibly another graduating from somewhere. To all this include her gig as the “sister cities” chick. She has been over to Russia at least five times since I have known her. Jennifer is just always zooming.

Since all of what was formally the USSR is nothing but third world countries now, the Sister-City program works to bring about better living environments for these folks. Since we are a University community especially with a medical school we are constantly reaching out to help or cities increase skill levels and option for these Russian city health care professionals. So a couple of times a year we bring over Doc’s and other healthcare professionals to see our stuff and staff—usually once in the winter and once in the summer. We also send our docs, etc over there. I sense there is a lot of money trading hands in the background. I also sense that Jennifer’s travel business is somehow involved. I am on this committee because I studied Russian at university and when Jennifer contacted our office, a couple of years ago, regarding needing disability information and input I was the natural fit. Plus the fact my boss is a native born Britain who I still feel may have WWII issues I doubt she really wanted to be part of the committee. So, I have a Stephen King to read and maybe even find a good place for dinner and hope the meeting does not last too late—either way I’ll have enough over time hours to be off at 11:30 tomorrow.