Everything's Coming Up Greg

It seems like everything’s coming up Greg the last couple of days.

Lara and the kids arrived last night which in itself was pretty cool.  Worlds are colliding a little bit, but it’s great to have them around.  We didn’t really do anything last night because they didn’t get in until late.  Tonight we’ll all go out for dinner and then maybe go for a swim in the pool at the hotel.

Lara brought ice cream from the Ben & Jerry’s factory in Burlington.  That was awesome.

Lara’s friend Patty sent me a belated birthday present.  I can’t believe she did that.  Thank you, Patty!  I love it!  I’ll have to make you something out of it next time you’re in town.

I also got a letter from Visa that just arrived before Lara left.  Apparently I won the Visa “Win what you buy” contest for the month of October.  All my purchases (of which there are an aweful lot) for the entire month are being credited back to me.  I can’t believe this.  I’m glad I racked up my Visa so much that month!

As a firm believer in Karma, I think that some of this is happening to make up for some of the crappy things that have happened over the last week.  I left my cell phone in a rental car in Pittsburgh.  Maybe I’m being naïve, but I still can’t believe that someone (who is quite likely a business traveller) would find a cell phone in a car and not return it.  I can’t imagine keeping it.  Also, missing all those flights on the way to and from India really sucked.

Despite all that, I’m still expecting to be struck by a meteor sometime within the next few days.

We’ve been going to the same Thai restaurant every day for lunch this week.  The menu allows you to choose your heat level ranging from one star (“Coward”) to four stars (“Native Thai”).  I started on three stars on Tuesday, and went to four stars yesterday.  Deciding it still wasn’t enough heat, I asked if they could do a five star (I think this would be called “Native Idiot” if it were on the menu).  Five stars was enough heat.  My stomach still feels warm and it’s been almost three hours.

I kind of caused an accident just outside the restaurant.  Well, it wasn’t really my fault.  Not really.  I was kind of going an “alternate way” through the parking lot.  Some people would call this the “wrong way”, but I don’t believe in absolute right and wrong.  A girl was turning in to the lot going another alternate way (which some people would call the “right way”) and stopped when she saw me.  I don’t know why she stopped because she wasn’t in danger of hitting me.  She tromped on the gas in reverse and smashed into the car which was turning in behind her.  Reversing there without looking was stupid not only because of the car behind her, but also because if the car wasn’t there, she was reversing into two lanes of traffic.  I think she learned a valuable lesson about using her mirrors today.  I’m glad I was able to help her learn that lesson.