You'll never defeat my Praying Mantis style!

C's (red) friend and former co-worker cyk (brown) stayed with us over the weekend. They were comrades-in-arms, C more senior than cyk and playing the big sis role, until the end. They hit a speed bump and were able to move on, as happens between friends.

We'd never met, though she and C worked closely together and talked to each other nearly every day. The work/life divide is a strange one. We spend our most productive hours with people who are generally segregated from the rest of our life, the key portion that we consider "ours". This isn't a new phenomenon; I know I'm not offering some brilliant insight. Yet I'll always find it odd that the split is so strong. I know of C's co-workers only as vague ideas associated to names. Some of them know of me as an abstract distraction that sometimes keeps C from her work, or maybe as a recurring character in various chapters of C's "what I did last weekend" story. This split isn't universal, but it's certainly true for most people. Those who can bridge the gap often become the most cherished type of friends. Luckily, I've been able to a meet and make a few over the years.

I developed a nasty case of post-surgery cabin fever this weekend, so I wasn't my usual, welcoming self. Fortunately, I had was able to offer the Wii in my stead. cyk was a natural and proved to be a formidable opponent, especially when boxing. Actually, when boxing, cyk would better be described as some sort of beast of raging fury. She used this weird praying mantis style... I'm not sure exactly what she was doing, but she did dole out the business!

We all ate out a bunch and she and c took a trip to the East Bay and the Scharffen Berger factory to sample their sweet delights. A huge fan of all things chocolate, I think this was the highlight of cyk's visit.

Have fun wandering around Boston for a couple more weeks, and best of luck in DC. The EPA is lucky to have you.