Hm

I trusted the Lord would wake me up on time, even in a different time zone. I did not set an alarm, went to bed around 11:30, and asked to be woken up at 6. I woke up at 3, 5, and 6. First two were a… trust, but verify.

Started the daily with a daily refresh Bible app. I think it was about James saying if you know what’s right and don’t do it, you have sinned. I sinned. I tried to justify it by saying that I was fellowshipping with a non-believer…. But I very well could have denied the eating the octopus, knowing very well, because I chatGPT the answer, that I was not supposed to. No one at the table would have judged me. I even semi-set up a game plan before walking in:

“I don’t need to say that it is against my religion or the Bible says not to. I just need to say, I don’t like it.”

The Bible says that it is detestable. Which is just like saying I don’t like it because it’s gross. Maybe doesn’t Taste gross, but because God says it’s gross.

Forgive me Lord, for I have sinned. I did not have the courage to deny the polite offering to share food. It was an easy test, but I failed and I am sorry. I will do better next time.

Rewind…

I went to work and knew it was not going to be very much usefulness in listening to any of the presentations or conversations. So I had one ear bud in and listened to worship music the whole time.

The last meeting, my coworker bud (Christine) were joking about the shameless fishing of compliments the supplier was baiting the room for. I told her I was not going to happy hour and going back to the hotel.

Took a nap. Researched how to make your phone a 360 camera. Failed to fruit. Christine asked for dinner with her travel buddy Nicole at Barcelona Reston.

Well, of course, I am going to cast a wish that she was single. That wish…. Hooked hard and snagged a mega attractive Peruvian, M.D., couch surfing by choice, mutli-property managing, free spirited…. Wait for the punchline….CHRISTIAN. what kind of sick joke this Christine??

I thought I was going to meet your friend that was already married or had a boyfriend. You know I’m single. There’s no way to not fall in love with her.

Well it was terrible. And by terrible, I mean absolutely delightful conversations, with laughter, light conversations, respectful sharing of tapas. Why does This have to go so well?

No plans for tonight? Sure let’s walk to a nearby tiki bar. What’s the name? Tiki Thai? Interesting fusion mix. Oh and they told us to move in 15 minutes because they had a DJ setting up near the bar soon? Ok sure. What’s that yelling over at the closed Thai restaurant side with all the chairs put away on the booths? Oh the guy made a nice beer pong shot. This isn’t a wonderful gem at all. Except for the adorable tiki cow cup. That can’t even be part of the rest of the sarcastic story.

How do we end the night? With me dropping them off at their hotel and me driving away with my cowardly tail between my tires as the last thing I said, before I was upstaged by a young doe on the side of the road, was, “Well if you are ever coming thru Ventura, you have another couch you can surf on”.

Smooth.

Been an hour since I’ve been on the phone trying to change my flight so I can hang out with them tomorrow before going back…