boxofdelights

Thanks for this useful report. (I got claustrophobic before I heard your intro.)

This quote in particular: What about if you have already spent enough of your one wild and precious life among people who are only willing to tolerate you as long as you provide a service and don't ask for anything in return? resonated with me.

One of my issues when going out is noise level: most of the restaurants nearby are purposely lively (metal ceilings, stone flooring). It would be great if one could pick up a "picnic for four" meal and eat on the Capitol lawn (or in someone's hotel room).

The hotel dinner next to the Other Table made my stomach hurt just to read about it. I'm so sorry.

My favorite game-with-strangers is Euchre: it's so basic that one could verbally plan the Third World War while winning the card game.