Dream About Missing the Old Office

Zombie image source: Fun Lover What doesn’t kill you
often makes you wish it had.

I am posting this much later than it is dated while going through some old journals. I list the souces as a dream about one of my least favorite parts of the corporate world. Apparently, it left lasting scars.

SELF
I’m going down to the crapateria to grab a bite.

OTHER
That won’t…

SELF
Kill me?

OTHER
No, but it will make you suffer.

SELF
That will have to do.

San Diego

Suna and I waiting to fly out of ABIA yesterday Suna having dinner in the hotel restaurant

Does this look like a $30 meal

I never saw my hometown until I stayed away too long

I never heard the melody until I needed the song

—Tom Waits

Suna, Carol, Russell and I are in San Diego for a Fortunebuilders “bootcamp.” It turns out they have a special meaning for that word that goes far beyond my previous usage. A Fortunebuilders Bootcamp is a large educational event that offers a range of classes to hundreds, if not thousands, of investors and potential investors. Russell is attending the “Internet Intensive” while Suna, Carol, and I are in the “Rental Intensive.”

The Internet Intensive focuses on using the Internet, including a proprietary system called Realeflow, to market to a range of buyers and sellers. Russell is a good choice for that since he is in charge of our back office systems and website.

I’m looking forward to the Rental Intensive and hope I learn a bunch of stuff about managing my rental portfolio.

I can’t say I’m impressed by the hotel hosting the event. The restaurant is overpriced as only a “artistic” or “trendy” place can be. Unfortunately, the quality of the food was not up to the pricing, once again demonstrating the difference between confidence and arrogance. I also wonder if the leadership isn’t looking at the hotel as a distressed commercial property that they can add value to.

 

Food Dreams

Last night I dreamed of food, breakfast foods in particular. Kolaches the size of my hand, fritters glistening with icing: all of the foods I love, but I wouldn’t let myself eat them. I left the little bakery and went to work someplace I didn’t recognize. Then I went back, and the little bakery had a for rent sign on the door. Sigh.

50-50

“Yep. That’s a fire”

Photo by: Suna

Again with the working from home. I took off a little early because today is my birthday. Suna and I are both 50 now. And I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate that to work in the yard. The Prince pulled down a bunch of old, dead vines from the front of the house while I removed a sickly sage.

We sat around on the back porch while dinner cooked. After the sun got low, it turned a little chilly. So Beccano and I started a fire in the BBQ. It turns out the potbellied pit makes a pretty good fire pit. Just a few logs got hot enough to take the chill out of the air.

I cooked dinner tonight, and—as usual—the beef turned out tough but tasty. Tonight’s was not as tough as some I’ve cooked. I don’t know why it always turned out that way. I cooked it at a fairly low temperature in the oven for about an hour. Then I put it on the grill for a few minutes to absorb some of the oak smoke.

A Loop through Central Texas

Beccano, The Prince, and I laugh at something. We are in front of a large moon-shaped fountain/sundial. Photo by Suna

We went started out today with lunch at a new chain called Which Wich. It is a standard sub shop with an interesting twist. When you go into the store, you pick out a sandwich wrapper from a category like Italian or Vegetarian. Then you mark all the options on the wrapper, hand it to the cashier, and pay. Sometime later, your sub pops out of the oven, fully grown. The sandwiches are tasty enough—not outstanding, but tasty—but the place has the school gym atmosphere that seems to be more and more common. My ears were ringing from the ambient noise by the time we left.

From there we went on a circular tour of Central Texas, out 1431 to 281 and back on 290. We stopped at Whittington’s in Johnson City that specializes in jerky. They sell it for $26/pound, but it is very good. They even ship it free to solder. (I think they mean soldier.)

Then we came back home. The Prince and I smoked some pork loin on the pit, had a couple of Black and Tans*, and generally kicked back. Suna cut and seasoned some veggies. I smoked them with the meat like kabobs. A little pre-packaged potato salad, and we were set.

---

* Prince, you’ll want to click on that link. The first picture in the article is of Yuengling’s Black and Tan lable. They suggest pouring the lighter beer first.

Back in the USSR

A mixed review for American Airlines’ customer service: exceptionally bad followed by extraordinarily good.

Photo source: American Airlines

Flew in from Miami Beach BOAC

Didn’t get to bed last night

Oh, the way the paper bag was on my knee

Man, I had a dreadful flight

John Lennon & Paul McCartney

Suna’s dad arrived late this evening after a long day fighting the airlines. We picked up The Prince at the airport. He had a long day of it. His wonderful flight that would have had him here at 11:30 AM was canceled because the plane never left Dallas for NC the previous day. We knew that ahead of time, and he had called American Airlines to have them make a change.

Unfortunately, he got a trainee who completely screwed up. Apparently, instead of rerouting him as she had said, she just canceled everything. To their credit, AA took care of him today. They paid for a limo to take him half-way across NC to catch another flight and a cab to take him from one Dallas airport to the other for the connection to Austin. Even that extraordinary measure left him in airports or on a plane for almost 15 hours. He may never want to visit us again.

After picking him up, we took him to Mesa Rosa, which has almost become a second dining room for us. A good meal and a few beers later, we were all in a much better frame of mind—ready to come home and go to bed.

Friday’s Feast

Appetizer: If you could be any current celebrity for one whole week, who would you want to be?

If I could, I would want to be Al Stewart, I guess. I’ve always wanted to write as well as he does. And it might be nice to have his wine cellar.

Soup: On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how much do you enjoy talking on the phone?

-1.

Salad: Name a charitable organization to which you have donated (or would like to).

The church.

Main Course: What is a food you like so much you could eat it every single day for a month?

There isn’t one I would want to eat every day. Variety is the spice of life.

Dessert: Have you or anyone in your family had the flu this year?

I did. It wasn’t that bad, but the pneumonia that followed on its heels was a killer.

Friday’s Feast

Once again, I am posting Friday a few days late. Sigh. Nothing really to say about the actual day.

Appetizer: Have you ever played a practical joke on anyone? If so, what did you do and who was your victim?

Not that I can remember. As a kid, I remember wondering why they were called “practical jokes.” They always seemed so impractical, if not down-right mean.

Soup: What do your salt and pepper shakers look like?

We have a mixed set. I had a set that looked like restaurant shakers, but Suna had pepper grinders, and I found that I liked fresh-ground pepper better. Now the pair that usually sit on the table are a medium-sized pepper grinder and a tiny salt grinder.

Salad: Where is the next place you plan to visit (on vacation or business)?

I’m not thinking that far ahead.

Main Course: What kind of lotion or cream do you use to keep your hands from getting too dry?

What ever is handy.

Dessert: Make up a dessert, tell us its ingredients, and give it a name.

Hummingbird pie. Two scoops French Vanilla ice cream on a graham cracker bed. Top with Calluah. I have no idea how it would taste, but it sounds decadent.

Tumblin’ Dice

TubaBoy bought these dice attenuator knobs for his bass. They are packaged in pairs. Unfortunately, he has three attenuators.

Always in a hurry, I never stop to worry

Can’t you see the time flashing by?

Honey, got no money

I’m all sixes and sevens and nines

—Mic Jagger & Keith Richards

Not much today, just the normal stuff of life. Work was good enough. After work, we went to buy TubaBoy a new set of strings for his bass. He likes flatwound strings, like the ones that came on it. Even though I have never really cared for them—counterintuitively, they are more likely to give me blisters than the roundwound strings I prefer—they make sense on a fretless.

We ate Asian food and went home. A few of his friends came over to play Rock Band. It was strange how their cacophony merged with Beccano’s practicing to create an almost-soothing background noise, especially when it almost sounded like they were playing together.

Friday’s Feast

Appetizer: What is your favorite kind of cereal?

I like oatmeal, especially in the winter. I ate so much of it as a kid that I couldn't stand to eat it for years. A few years ago, I rediscovered it. Oatmeal makes a great, low-calorie lunch.

Soup: When was the last time you purchased something for your home, what was it, and in which room did it go?

A statue of Brigid and her sheep. It lives in the media room.

Salad: What is the funniest commercial you’ve ever seen?

This is a tough question. Even the commercials that are funny get overplayed so much that I end up not liking them and never wanting to see them again. So, I guess I have never seen a commercial that was funny enough to bear repetition. And some that try to be funny are just irritating. I will never buy Cheetos again after their commercial encouraging vandalism. You know the one where the "offended" moron acts out by putting Cheetos in a dryer full of white clothes. Disgusting. Are you listening, Madison Ave?

Main Course: Make up a name for a company by using a spice and an animal (example: Cinnamon Monkey).

Cummin Stag

Dessert: Fill in the blank: I haven’t ______ since ______.

I haven’t eaten since breakfast. Not really up to speed—I know, but I’m hungry right now. And I just realized I forgot my lunch. So I will have to get “real food” from the crapateria instead of eating a Slimfast bar. A tuna wrap sounds tasty, though.

Super Bowl Update

Some of the new Super Bowl ads were really funny, at least the first time around. Madison Avenue posted many of them on You Tube. Let’s see how well they stand the test of repetition.

Burnin’ Sky

When the sky already has so many beautiful colors, why would you want to change it?

The sky is burnin’

I believe my soul’s on fire

You are,I’m learning,

The key to my desire

—Paul Rodgers

So I worked from home all day today and got everything done.

I had lunch with Eh?—one of my former managers at ALE. It was pleasant, and we caught up on the last couple of months over a nice Chinese buffet. Her sister is being sent to China for a couple of months, but that isn’t why we chose Chinese. She knows of an opening in the technical support side of the not-record-company where she works.

After work Suna, Beccano, and I went out to eat. TubaBoy was at a debate thing, so the rest of us could eat Chinese food without whining. Notice that is two Chinese meals in one day, showing how deprived I have been feeling. We ate at the China Wall, a favorite of mine for a long time. The tables and booths are comfortable. The atmosphere is quiet and respectful. But most important: the food is great.

One of tonight’s specials was Basil Chicken. Not only do I believe that basil is the perfect spice, I like chicken. Adding to the flavor, a couple of jalapeño peppers were sliced across the width to preserve the seeds. I could have eaten this dish until I popped. Suna had the Lemongrass Chicken, which is served with broiled onions—delicious. Beccano had Beef in Oyster Sauce, which is served on a hot plate and finished at the table.

Friday’s Feast

Appetizer: How many times per day do you usually laugh?

As much as possible. I don’t count. I love jokes (even if I have heard some variant of them already). Spontaneous quips are delightful. As the Reader’s Digest column says, “Laughter Is the Best Medicine.” Laughter is good for your respiration, circulation, and heart—not to mention your psychological health.

But I don’t care for so called humor that is based on somebody being proud of their stupidity. One liners on this premise when the person recovers and makes a good, intelligent joke later are OK. But so much of today’s humor is like the “Ow! My Balls” bit in Idiocrasy, predictable, intollerant, and plain stupid. Characteristics the entertainment industry seems to confuse with humor.

Soup: What do your sunglasses look like?

I don’t think I currently own a pair of sunglasses—other than the darkened visor of my helmet. I tend to lose them or break them. And I am too cheap to have a second pair of prescription glasses made¹, which would involve constantly changing between the two any way.

Salad: You win a free trip to anywhere on your continent, but you have to travel by train. Where do you go?

Nowhere. I have always wanted to take the AmTrack to San Diego and then up the west coast to Vancouver. From there I would like to take the TransCanada to the east coast where I could pick up AmTrack again. Take it down the east coast and across the south back to where I started. The whole trip would take about three weeks.

Main Course: Name one thing you consider a great quality about living in your town/city.

Tolerance—at least when compared to the rest of the country. I know that the Southwest is supposed to have that rugged frontier spirit of “Let ’em do what they want on their own property.” But there are very few Texans left, and those who remain have become woefully bigoted Republicans. Maybe they always were (even when Texas was a Democratic state), but we were spread out thin enough not to get in each other’s hair, except in the towns and cities.

Dessert: If the sky could be another color, what color do you think would look best?

I like blue. Not that I am sticking with the status quo; Blue is one of my favorite colors. Besides, I wouldn’t want to change the chemical structure of the atmosphere enough to change the color of the sky. We probably wouldn’t enjoy that very long.

---

¹ Suna and others may point out that I do own more than one pair of prescription glasses, but neither of them is tinted. This situation came about because I lost my first pair. About three months after I had the second pair made (which was a while after I lost the first pair), I found the lost pair hanging in a redbud tree in the backyard. Since the last place anybody remembered me having them was in a different town, their arrival in the backyard remains a mystery.

Sometimes Bad Is Bad

I was so thrilled. OK I was still pretty sick, too. Photo by: Suna

Across the street, a neon sign

“All you can eat for a dollar ninety nine

Our soul stew is the baddest in the land”

But one dollar’s worth was all that I could stand

—Huey Lewis

I have made it through a full week at work now. For the last two days, I have felt pretty good, even though I finished the antibiotics and have cut back on the decongestants and cough syrup. Maybe I am finally over this thing. Man, it sucked.

I am still running behind on all of my personal writing and reading, but I am starting to catch up. I thought I would take this opportunity to note that I have joined Library Thing—an online community about books. I am starting to list the books I have read and write a short review of each of them. If I work at it diligently, I may have the job finished by the time I die.

Suna posted earlier this week about TubaBoy’s birthday, so I won’t go into too much detail here. We went to a local chain, Z Tejas Southwestern Grill, another company that thinks web visitors all want to see a prolonged, annoying flash intro rather than content.

If you like nouveau cuisine in a loud environment, this is the place for you. They try some weird experiments, but—on the whole—the food was good. The tables were comfortable and the lighting was intimate. There was something about the vaguely coleslaw-like food product that accompanied my mushroom enchiladas, and the ambient noise left my ears ringing. But the most important factor was that both kids seemed to like the place and their food. I can’t remember that happening before.

Friday’s Feast

Appetizer: What is your favorite beverage?

Like Suna, I must list more than one:

• Water
• Pepsi One
• Jack on the rocks
• Sangria wine

Soup: Name three things that are on your computer desk, either at home or at work.

I don’t really have a computer desk where I am comfortable working for long at home, and my desk at work is very Spartan because I am a short-term contractor there. At home, I mostly work with a portable in my lap. So I will list three things that I see from the couch:

1. The TV
2. The street outside, lined with front lawns and trees.
3. The media collection

Salad: On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how honest do you think you are?

8. I am not nearly as honest as I aspire to be, especially with myself. I do value honesty and I try to be honest, even when it is not in my immediate (or long-term) self interest. But actually putting my ideals into practice remains a challenge sometimes.

Main Course: If you could change the name of one city in the world, what would you rename it and why?

I never really thought about it. I get kinda irritated when they change the names of cities. It brings about that whole Prince thing. You know—the city formerly known as Stalingrad, which was formerly known as St. Petersburg.

Dessert: What stresses you out? What calms you down?

• Stressors: Not being able to do what I want or as well as I think I should.
• Destressors: Downtime with family and friends. Sleep, when I’m not too stressed to sleep.

The Check’s in the Mail

I’m still behind on everything and getting behinder as I go. Makes me feel like I am the Post Office or something.

Image Source: Fairfield County, SC

I know you want what’s on my mind

I know you like what’s on my mind

I know it eats you up inside

I know ya know ya know ya know

—Weird Al

My friend Captain Flatulence sent me this meme in email form. I’m posting it here. Consider yourself tagged, gentle readers.

Email Meme

1. What time is it?
07:23
2. What are you most afraid of?
Financial ruin. I mentioned this in last Friday’s post, “Pneumonia.”
3. Where were you born?
Freeport, Texas. The hospital where I was born became an orphanage sometime after they tried to poison me by giving me drugs that induced massive projectile vomiting to help me recover from having my tonsils out. Then they put a really nice kid in my room. Unfortunately, he had been hospitalized with a severe case of the flu. Good thing that hospital went out of business. I don’t know if the building is still standing.
4. What is your natural hair color?
Light brown, becoming more streaked with silver as I age
5. Have you traveled?
Yes.
6. Love someone so much it made you cry?
Yes.
7. Been in a car accident?
Yes.
8. BMW or Mercedes Benz?
Jaguar
9. Favorite day of the week?
Today.
10. Favorite restaurant?
Mesa Rosa
11. Favorite flower?
Roses, any color
12. Favorite sport to watch?
Football. There is another sport to watch?
13. What color is your bedroom carpet?
Green
14. Favorite ice cream?
Cookies ’n’ Cream
15. Disney or Warner Brothers?
Pixar, so I guess that means Disney.
16. Favorite fast food restaurant?
Chipotle. I like their food enough to forgive them for such a useless web site.
17. How many times you failed your driver’s test?
Never. Not for any class or endorsement, but I wouldn’t want to take the hazmat endorsement again right now.
18. Before this one, from whom did you get your last e-mail?
Spam
19. What do you do most often when you are bored?
Sleep.
20. Bedtime?
Earlier than is possible.
21. Who will respond to this meme the quickest?
Suna
22. Who is the person least likely to respond?
Beccano or Trackgrease
23. Who is the person you are most curious to see their answers?
These questions are pretty lame.
24. What means the most to you?
Love, family
25. Favorite TV shows?
• Bones
• New Yankee Workshop
• Sunday Night Football (sigh)
• Dark Shadows
26. Dating males or females?
Long-term relationship with a SWF.
27. Tall or short?
Me? Or my sweetie?
28. How many pets do you have?
Five
29. Above or below 29?
Above
30. What would you like to accomplish/do before you die?
Live—forever, if possible.

Thanksgiving

What would Thanksgiving be without a turkey?

Photo Source: Maura Grierson’s Blog

Then lift up the head with a song!

And lift up the hands with a gift!

To the ancient giver of all

The spirit of gratitude lift!

For the joy and promise of Spring,

For the hay and clover sweet,

The barley, the rye, and the oats,

The rice and the corn and the wheat,

The cotton and sugar and fruit,

The flowers and the fine honeycomb,

The country, so fair and so free,

The blessing and the glory of home...

—Anonymous ~1894

Last night was the coldest of the new winter so far. I slept well for the first time in a while because of the change in the weather. I woke rested and feeling good before the alarm went off.

Before we could leave to see my dad, we had to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade—well, at least the opening act. The daughter of one of our friends from church was a dancer in a show tune. She was one of 600 girls selected from across the nation to participate. That’s quite an honor—almost worth a trip to NYC. (Suna thinks we might have even seen her. I haven’t a clue.)

Then we were off to Dad’s. It was good to see him looking so healthy. He has put on a bit of weight since he can’t work like he used to. I do worry about him being so alone. He has only his cat now since he sold his remaining cattle. Still, I worried about him taking care of the cattle. They are so much bigger than he is, and his reflexes aren’t what they once were.

This year, Dad decided to plant winter wheat. After a Spring that was almost too wet to plant, he is worried that his wheat is very patchy because it has been too dry. It looks as if the birds and insects may have had their Thanksgiving dinner early. The south field looks OK, but the north field is more barren than growing. He hopes that some promised rain this weekend may help. I sure hope so.

This doesn’t capture the extent of the line, but I don’t really think that’s the point. Is it?
Photo by Suna

Thanksgiving Dinner was at Furr’s cafeteria. They have a decent buffet, and Dad really enjoyed it. He ate a lot, almost as much as I did. The line was long, and the wind at the entrance was cold. But we eventually made it inside where it was warm and the food smelled so good. There was a wide selection to choose from. The only bad thing was that the turkey on the turkey and dressing had the flavor and texture of soggy paper. The dressing was good, and there was real turkey breast waiting to be sliced a little farther down the line. That turkey was perfect. Dad says it was the best he ever had, but he says that about everything in his most recent meal&mdahs;it’s either the best or the worst ever.

What amazed me about the whole Furr’s experience was the line. They couldn’t keep people moving through the line fast enough to keep the dining area anywhere near full. And that was with people taking their sweet time eating, visiting, and digesting over the meal. Makes you wonder.

Then it was back to Dad’s house to watch the Cowboys take on the Jets. I think the game was entertaining, but I slept through much of it. Damned tryptophan. All I really remember of the game was the companionship and that the ‘boys won. OK. They smacked the Jets.

Then home: all-in-all, a little more than seven hours behind the wheel. We relaxed a bit and went to bed. It was about as good as it gets on Thanksgiving.

Dinner at the Ritz

Chris Gage
(I couldn’t find a pic of Michael Austin)
Photo Source: Albert & Gage
 

OK. It wasn’t the Ritz, but it ends with a Z. We went to Artz Rib House to have dinner and watch a couple of Suna’s friends perform. I had the South Austin Burger, and I have to say that it was the best hamburger I have ever eaten. It had a rich smoky flavor and was onion-licious.

Playing were Chris Gage and Michael Austin. They played a wonderful mix of old-fashioned bluesy jazz with Chris on piano and guitar, Michael on clarinet. I kept thinking that my dad would really enjoy the music, if not the vocals. He prefers more Andrews-sister arrangements for vocals. But I liked it all.

We are going back there soon to have dinner with an old high school chum. I am looking forward to the reunion and the food. I’m sure the music will be good, no matter who is playing. I will talk more about the atmosphere when I post about that dinner.