Estoy Nueces

Went out with friends last night to celebrate a birthday. Went to a place way up on the north side of Austin, J.J. Rover's or B.B. Roper's or something. Nice little pub with a million kinds of beer of which I experimented with a mere three. Had a Pyramid Apricot (very good!) and a Purple Haze (loved the name but it was raspberry and not all that great) and then a Fat Tire (blah.). Maybe it is just that the third beer is never as good as the first.

Fun to watch the dynamic of this group. We all work together but we are of wildly varying ages, backgrounds and lifestyles. A couple of us old staid married folks and then a bunch of singles of all ages down to Hondo, the wild 25 year old rock jock with the little goatee without the mustache and long hair and a VERY loud voice when he is using curse words. People at other tables were giving us "that look." We all talked about how interesting the combination was and how much we all like each other but how unlikely it would be for us to work together in any other situation other than the one we are in.

One of the couples at the table have been seeing each other, I believe, and are trying to keep it secret from the rest of us. They are both single and I think they make a good pair. There is quite a bit of age difference but I hope it works out. She left early, I'm sure in an effort to throw us off, but I see them together quite frequently at work going to smoke or going to dinner, etc. It's a lot more fun to watch these workplace laisons when you're not looking for one yourself. I'm glad I'm out of that whole flirt and test the waters scene.

This was the first workplace get-together I've ever been to where the employees talked about the boss and had only GOOD things to say. It's just unheard of! We have a great boss and I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks so.

I took down the Christmas tree and some of the decorations yesterday, hoping that the removal of the tree will help my sinuses. We didn't decorate much at all this year so it didn't take long to box it up. The boxes are still pretty jumbled and not ready to go back to the attic, but at least it is out of the house.

Lots to be done today, this week, this month, this year, this century and yes, this mill... no I'm so freakin' sick of that word I won't use it. Wish someone would invent speed that would kick you into gear and make your really get things done with enthusiasm and need no sleep, yet not do all the things speed does. Like the immortal bard, Huey Lewis, said, "I Want a New Drug."