Resident Alien
This is going to be an interesting week. Besides trying to get caught up after being out of town much of last week, I've got a new gig. Starting tomorrow, I'll be taking product photos to populate a database for a new client's e-commerce website. The site and database was designed by a firm in Austin, but they don't provide the product photos, or at least not at a reasonable price.
Now, I've assured the client that I'm not a professional photographer. OTOH, I've taken literally hundreds, if not thousands of photos for website display, so I'm not a newbie when it comes to digital photography. I'm doing the photography itself at a bargain rate; it's the post-processing in Photoshop that will be more tedious and more critical to the quality of the final product...and therefore, more expensive. Anyway, it should be a nice change of pace, and will test my workflow organization skills.
Even more interesting is the fact that we'll have a houseguest for four days, as our niece is coming over while her mom is on a business trip. During past stays of this nature I've had the nephew, who is just a year younger, to provide a bit of buffer, but he's staying with a friend this time. And MLB will also be traveling on business for one day. So, I'm up for some quality time with one of the most mysterious and scary creatures on God's green earth: the seventeen-year old girl.
What's more, Friday is homecoming at her high school and she's got her first Official High School Date, and the boy (whom I've never met) will come to our house to pick her up. Guys, this is where I need a little advice. Should I be cleaning my Colt Python when he comes over, or would it be more effective to be practicing Kendo in the front drive? I've already been warned about being on my best behavior, but that leaves an awful lot of room for interpretation, if you know what I mean. I've been watching John Candy movies in preparation.
As I said, this will be quite an interesting week. Stay tuned...
Update: I just learned that mom has rearranged her schedule in order to be back in time to supervise the official Date Appearance. It's just as well; I was never any good with a pocket knife, let alone a samurai sword.
Wallace, we'll have to look for Hipps next time out. We ran out of time well before running out of restaurants, as usual. We did make it by Mi Tierra where I indulged in chilequiles with puerco asado on the side, and it was muy delicioso, as always. Interestingly, Debbie still prefers the fajitas at Romies to those just about anywhere else. I'd have a hard time arguing that, too.
Posted by: Eric at September 13, 2004 04:37 PMOur seventeen year-old still hasn't had her first official date, but the time's a-comin'. So does the mother of your niece rearrange her schedule to be available for others' first dates?
Posted by: Rob at September 13, 2004 11:43 PMRob, she might be, but you'll want to make sure you're comfortable with her "scorched earth" strategy of dealing with potential beaus!
Posted by: Eric at September 14, 2004 08:23 AMPython.
Definitely go with the Colt Python.
Having been (ages ago, it seems) a seventeen year-old male with designs on my date's virtue, I speak with a degree of experience.
Seeing her uncle cleaning out one of Colt's fine products would give me serious second thoughts.
...and ensure that I got her home well within her curfew!
Great choice of "persuader", by the way.
Posted by: Mr. Freen at September 14, 2004 04:47 PMGood luck with the product photography. At least you can do it digitally these days, rather than having to bracket like the dickens and shoot polaroids to see if you can get lighting right. ;-)
Posted by: bryan at September 18, 2004 02:04 PMAbout the publisher
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Your trip to San Antonio looked nice. We get down there several times a year for alum functions at my alma mater....Trinity U.
Hadn't been able to check in much to answer your Hipp's Bubble Room question. Hipps Bubble Room and Little Hipps are restaurant/beer joints....more on the restaurant side. Shy Poke Eggs, as I remember, are big round nacho's with light and dark cheese... ergo the egg look. Hipps is located north of Saint Mary's on McCullough.
Posted by: Wallace-Midland, Texas at September 13, 2004 04:28 PM