Balls and Walnuts
more than you ever wanted to know
Tonight
Dinner party at the boss’s place. Have I mentioned lately how very, very nice it is to feel wanted?
Okay, I need to add for all of my Crescent City readers: YES, y’all made me feel wanted. That’s NOT what I meant. I was thinking about those job interviews up in Washington, where I got anything but the vibe that I was wanted and needed.
The boss has an awesome place with what is very nearly the kitchen of my dreams. Huge granite island and beautiful granite counter tops, two ovens, Wolf range, lots of cabinet space. I could do a lot in a kitchen like that.
Nice people, too. I dislike parties (being the kind of person who hangs everything out in a blog, but at parties, I tend to feel like I’m outside the stream) but this wasn’t so bad. Karen’s the same way, and she did well, too. Even Jake liked it, owing in large part to the fact that my boss showed him the computer and let him use it all night long.
The wife of my partner (from the Santa Rosa office) asked Jake what he would be if he could be anything at all. “God,” Jake said. “No,” she said, “you can’t choose that.” But Jake was undaunted. “A demigod,” he said.
Finally she realized what Karen and I have known since Jake first spoke — you have to use language with great precision around this kid. “What career would you choose — and it can’t be anything godlike.”
“I don’t know.”
“What if you had to decide right now, right this instant?”
Jake said, “It’s too important a decision to decide in a minute.”
This blew her away, I guess because she saw it as a sign of great maturity. I, however, know otherwise. I figure he was tired of this conversation and saw this reply as the most expeditious way of bringing it to a close.
(Jake claims he was just speaking the truth. YEAH, RIGHT, KIDDO. I’m YOUR DAD. I KNOW BETTER.)
D.
What? No mention of the food you ate?
And I take it your kitchen pales in comparison?
When it comes to the work place, feeling wanted is a really nice “warm fuzzy”.
My current kitchen, or my remodeled kitchen back in Brookings?
Our current kitchen is a giant step backwards. We have a gas range, and that’s about the nicest thing I can say about it.
Our remodeled kitchen in Brookings is probably superior to the boss’s from a functional point of view, inferior from an aesthetic point of view. And really only slightly superior, in that we opted for a really big island so I would have no shortage of work surface. On the other hand, we only had the one oven (with room for a second, but we never got around to putting one in). Two ovens is essential. The boss has two.
Good food. Unfortunately, when I’m anxious (typical party mood) I don’t pay much attention to what’s on my plate.
Your son makes me laugh.
I can imagine either of my two older kids doing the same thing. My youngest confidently answers when asked the same question, “A cheerleader. Or a kindergarten teacher. Or a vet.”
Mostly she wants to be a cheerleader. Really badly. Her older siblings roll their eyes in disgust.
Pepper steak and Salmon. Alas, the pepper steak was a bit overdone. But the salmon was awesome. Jake managed to put away three orange sodas (42 g carb each), I have never seen a kid consume that much sugar and still be able to hold a conversation with an adult. My husband (research wonk at IBM, Ph.D in CS) thinks Jake is a lot like how he was when he was 12.
Good to finally get to meet you all in person !
I meant the current kitchen. Well, better a gas range than an electric.
Suisan: if Jake ever tells me he wants to be a cheerleader, I’ll have to remind him that that was President Bush’s job in college.
SBH: well, we thought the salmon was a bit overcooked. But then, we come from Salmon Country, where it’s possible to buy it fresh fresh fresh. BTW, I’ve long since stopped worrying about his diet. It baffles me.
Sis: oh, the boss’s kitchen rocks big time over our current kitchen. I haven’t had this crappy a kitchen since the mid 90s.