Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Disjointed Thoughts

In no particular order:

1. My dad just got in tonight from Nigeria and we went to Austin Cantina for dinner, the first time for all of us. As an aside, my parents would eat at Outback Steakhouse, Buca di Beppos, Cheesecake Factory, or any other chain restaurant if I didn't insist on expanding their dining horizons. It just amazes me that after 25+ years abroad, they have absolutely no sense of adventure when it comes to dining - either here or abroad. My dad always wants to eat something here he can't get overseas, but I seriously doubt he eats anything regional while in Nigeria. For whatever reason, that means chain restaurants, which is how us kids felt, as teenagers, when we got back to the States. Lucky for him, his daughter is an irrepressible city and restaurant snob who refuses to eat in such places. It is only fair. His career expanded my horizons, so, in his near-retirement years, I intend to expand his.

The place was amazing, by the way. Probably seats less than 30 people and all of the food is scratch cooked (homemade tortillas, garden fresh salsa, margaritas sans that awful sweet and sour bullshit). I am so very full. I can't remember the last time I ate after 6pm. I have breakfast, lunch and dinner as leftovers.

2. Today I did something for my cleaning lady of which I am proud. (Ed. Note: I cannot figure out how to write that sentence in a grammatically correct fashion without sounding horribly pretentious and edited.) I told her that I was going to be in and out for the next two weeks, and if she wanted to take the time off, she could. Almost sheepishly, she told me that she was saving up for a small freezer and I left it at that. When I got to work, I called a client who has an appliance business. I found the small freezer she was looking for and my client gave it to me at substantially less than cost, and about $250 less than she would have paid. It is being delivered to my place this weekend and when she comes next Wednesday, it will be here, wrapped in a bow. If I remember to buy a bow.

It felt like Christmas to do that. Give someone I don't know that well something she really wants and needs and completely doesn't expect to receive from me. That is my version of Christmas.

3. I love tumblr and am going to make sure every member of my family creates one over the holidays. I wish all of my friends who use the internet had one. If you try it for a few days and explore it, you will understand why. Yes. Please to be making a tumblr, if only for me, and really, it is all about me. I find myself posting there in a completely different way than here. This place is text-based and more intimate and serves a completely different purpose. Tumblr has a simple, addictive interface and is more like a scrapbook.

4.

Darby sometimes curls up like a bug on the couch.



Other times, she lounges. She was born to be my dog.

5. Related: the POOP BELL (she is trained to ring this when she needs to go out. She rings it whenever she wants to go out, which is fairly regularly).



6. View from my office (northern conference room):



7. More people care about Britney Spears' sister being knocked up than the clusterfuck in Iraq.

8. I have sent letters of interest to seven countries and received five inquires in response. I think I need some time away.

9. Related (Scene: Me on the phone with the catering director for the Space Needle, who I have a connection to because of B):



Catering Guy: You are a delight and I really enjoy working with you.
Me: Thanks and thank you for all of your assistance in arranging this. You have all of my contact information, yes?
Catering Guy: Yes. (repeats my full name, then very excitedly asks:) WAIT! You're K! B's wife. OMG! We've met! We met at (local charity event). OMG! I love you two!
Me: pregnant pause. (thinks to self: will distancing herself from B result in less favorable treatment from Space Needle, who is now waiving almost every charge?). Yep, that's me.
Catering Guy: You can bring in two cases of wine, but don't tell anyone I said that. I know B has his own wine label.
Me: Yes, yes he does.
Catering Guy: Well, we'll do anything for you two. Bring it in.


10. My brother Kyle and I recently discovered that we have the same favorite Dave Matthews Band song. I don't get the DMB haters. Dave may not have much of a voice, but he can assemble talent. In any event, I have met him dozens of times and he is a great guy. He is no Hootie.

4 comments:

Norm said...

OK. I'll tumbl for ya.
I'll tumbl for ya
I'll tumbl, I'll tumbl for yooooooo

(duckandpenguin, obv)

Wait, no.
I broke it.

We'll be back shortly.

We're doing some database work in preparation for an upcoming feature.

Posting is temporarily unavailable, but your tumblelog can still be viewed normally.

We're sorry for any inconvenience! Please check back in a few minutes.

Talix said...

All I needed was a good excuse. I'll work on the Tumblr thing over vacation. Which starts in 78 minutes.

Because it's about you, D'n'P, and myself, obv.

Law said...

Hmm, Tumblr, eh? Interesting...

Although, I think you and I may have a TM fight on our hands...

cornutt said...

Hooray! More tumblers!

Tal - again, happy birthday. You will be amazed how easy it is to design a page. I haven't a lick of graphic design sense and could still swing it.

Law: great minds and all that, although your tweak on the phrase is a wee bit more creative. I will be awaiting your tumblr link with frequent kid pics.