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Thursday June 1, 2000
"People, like sheep, tend to follow a leader - occasionally in the right direction." Alexander Chase, Perspectives, 1966
next time I say there wasn't s--- on TV, correct me
sunset through dirty windshield |
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driving into the sun Waking in a hotel is always disconcerting. But, I'm organized, and I get showered, dressed, packed, check my mail and read USA Today (an experience I reserve for hotels that distribute this comic book of a paper). I observe the meeting with customers. It is enlightening. Things have changed in my business. In a lot of ways that I can't really talk about here. The customer briefing center is decorated with priceless documents like letters from Sam Houston. Wonder who decided that? On my hallway in Austin, there are white walls. There would be white walls unrelieved by decoration except that I've had them hang photos and lithographs and framed posters we own but have no place to hang. Other halls are bare or have bad decorator art or even worse old West paintings or reproductions 'handed down' from some office in Houston. The good news is the office art is the best of breed because it was picked by the office mangaer, a woman of some taste. I prefer it to priceless museum pieces, really, which you'd need time to study and appreciate and that would distract you from thinking about eBusiness or data bases. "They bring junior high classes through here for field trips," says one of the organizers. The customers depart for the airport at 4PM and I drive in the direction of Austin to another building and meet with some people until 6PM. The traffic isn't too bad and I sail down the road to Columbus. I have to stop at a convenience store with a Taco Bell. A cherry coke and a taco revives me. Sipping at the 16 ounce Cherry Coke and listening to a sprawling Dick Francis novel ("Field of Thirteen") that I seem to keep losing the continuity of, I get home at 9PM. A long commute. But flying is hardly less maddening. Forrest is snoozing in front of the TV. That seems like an excellent idea. So, I read the papers and do the same. The Pinot Noir finishes me off.
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