The Friday Night Crowd went out for beer and Greek food Thursday night in San Mateo. I don't remember why but I'm sure there was a reason. We started out at the Prince of Wales pub. What a dive. I can't believe people like it, but it's hugely popular and has been for years. It's small, and ratty, and cramped, and dark, and I basically hated it the minute I walked in, can you tell? Their beer selection was dull. I'm spoiled, I admit it. I'd far rather drink a microbrew than Bass or Bud. All the food on the menu was either fried or some kind of chili.

Luckily, everyone decided to eat elsewhere, and Brad Lau mentioned Kosta's on 25th. We trotted up the street, stopping to admire the Avalon Used Bookstore (unfortunately closed), and took over a table. The owner gave us such lip! He called Brad a big spender for ordering ice water instead of a drink, and then bullied Spike into a double order of taramasalata. We were charmed. He brought plate after plate of food, and forced us to take extra home, the whole while alternating between abusing us and thanking us for our patronage. I think we were his last customers of the night. As Spike said, we were completely in his power. The moussaka was good, too.

On the way home I was uncharacteristically quiet. I brooded over the various Australia tickets I had in various stages of readiness. I started to complain a little about the perfidy of United Airlines in not getting back to me soon enough or with the wrong information, and then realized how silly it was to do so. I actually thrive on battling the stolid forces of Ven-duhs and Air-lie-nes. It's tiresome when I'm ready to go but have to wait on a third party to provide some crucial information or product, but it's just thrilling to finally get it done. And indeed, I feel as though I've won an egg and spoon race for having found the right sort of tickets for five different Aussiecon 3 attendees and gotten them all ticketed this week. I hope my clients thought it was a good experience. I don't know if I babied them enough.

I am beginning to realize I have two different modes for Leisure versus Corporate work, and it's tough for me to switch between them. Lately, I've been doing a huge amount of corporate. I have to push myself hard when I am working with corporate clients just to keep up with them and their nine million changes, and my attitude sometimes gets pretty sharp along with my mind. I don't know if I can operate at top speed and not be a bitch. I'm not very happy about who I have to be to do that sort of work. I'm just naturally a slower person. I hated living in New York the one time I tried it. Drove me nuts, and I didn't like myself very much after two months of always being cranked up to deal with the insane pace. I was built for comfort, not for speed.

You know who I really want to work for? Southwest Airlines. I have never spoken to a mean, cranky, phony person at their reservations center, not once in eight years. They hire nice people who are funny. I can see myself there, you know? But the pay isn't as good as what I'm doing, so I probably won't get around to it.

No more brooding. It's Friday, and work's done. Stop talking and start chalking, as the pinball machine says.

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