Thursday, May 19, 2011

Today's fortune: May 19, 2011

Today's fortune: You will soon receive an usual gift freely given. Accept!

I'm beginning to realize how fortunes are written. I think they have a bag filled with the first half of dozens of fortunes and another bag with dozens of second halves.

Back on March 15, I already wrote about the first half of this one: "You will receive an usual gift of food for your health," a fortune notable for its Engrish phrase "an usual."

This fortune lops off that last half. Today, I was supposed to "receive an usual gift freely given." My favorite part is the militant, one-word last sentence: "Accept!" Well, okay!

I did not receive a tangible gift. But the gift I did receive was much more special and valuable.

I was on the phone with a widget customer today. This wasn't a particularly memorable widget customer. I'd only spoken to him a couple times over the course of the past week or so. When we concluded our business, I tried to wrap up the conversation, but I could tell there was something on this gentleman's mind. So finally I paused and let the pause linger to force it out of him.

"Hey Matt," he began, slowly and somewhat reluctantly. "I wanna say... I've dealt with a lot of widget makers, and some of them come off as pushy and arrogant. But it's really nice to work with one who's polite, and very good at his job."

This man didn't need to say these things. He gave them freely. And as I felt the tears well up in the corner of my eyes, I accepted it as graciously as I could.

It makes me want to be a better widget maker.

VEGETARIAN WEEK: Day 2

I'm starting to feel the meat withdrawals.

At around three o'clock today, I had the strongest, damnedest craving for fried chicken. I was beginning to feel like this poor pooch.


But I also had a realization: just because I'm not eating meat doesn't mean I can't eat like a man. So when I came home today, I ate my vegetables. I had tomatoes, onions and green peppers:


I also had corn:


And, most importantly, I consumed my fair share of wheat:

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