Par-Tay

That Sunday after getting home from LA I had to quickly make cookies for the two Christmas parties we were invited to (on the same day). I got to work looking up a recipe online and grabbed the Molasses, ginger, sugar, flour to quickly whip up some soft ginger cookies.

The first stop, our neighbor Rick and Thierry's house. They are our neighbors on the corner in a fabulous old shingled house. Their front "parlor" could easily hold 100 people and so every year they host a caroling party. I must have timed it right 'cause we missed the carrolling. not that I have anything against it, I just can't sing. So we ate a tad and imbibed a bit and then when the time was right, we quietly left to head out to the next party at Lance and Chris's.

We love L&C and their two dogs (both Westies) and they always throw a lovely party with great friends. We were lucky to enjoy their company and the company of their very nice friends. Lance's good friend happens to have a consulting business writing on-line training manuals, so he and john started noodling about how they were going to get John's on-line teaching business growing. Aside from the good friends, and good food, John also benefited from good ideas.

That week was the last full week before my holiday shut-down. Texas came back into town and we ended up grabbing dinner that Tuesday night. I remember it being a particularly bad day at work. I had a sales guy write me an email (after I had answered his question) that he had a suggestion for improving my communication. I nearly lost it. After reading the email I immediately picked up the phone and gave him a call. He continued to insist that I wasn't answering his question. In order to protect the stupid, I'm going to paraphrase the conversation.
Email: Can you tell me why product a is more expensive than product b?
Reply: Dear recipient's name, there is no rule that states that product a should always be less than product b. as a matter of fact, because of the "laws" of supply and demand, there are times where product a would be more expensive than b. Here are past examples of when a was more than b: (blah, blah, blah).
Email: in an effort to help you more effectively communicate to customers, your curt responses are not helpful. The customer feels that you are often more expensive and you haven't explained why he should pay for blah blah blah when blah blah blah....
Phone Call: Bob (not real name), I'd like to talk to you about your email.
Bob: yes, you didn't answer the question
Phone: the question asked why a was more than b.
Bob: that's not what the customer wants to know
Phone: with all due respect, the email asks why a is more than b
Bob: that's not what the customer is asking
Phone: Bob, let me read you the question< 'why is a more than b?"
Bob: yes, but that's not what the customer wants to know
Phone: Bob, again, with all due respect, my fucking spidey sense doesn't work like that... tell me the fucking question and I'll answer it.
Well - it didn't go exactly like that. Actually at about the time that I was about to toss out F-bombs, the line went dead as Bob was driving in the middle of the dessert. Good thing too. My VP was listening and a little surprised that I was having this challenging conversation. By 5 p.m. she TOLD Texas to take me out for a drink. I think that conversation went like this:
VP: Texas, you guys are having dinner tonight, right?
Texas: of course
VP: great. Take her out for a drink. Now.
Texas: okay
VP: Now. Ok. Now.

Texas took me (and my boss) over to Belden Lane, I drank and all was right with the world.

Thankfully the next day I got an email from Bob telling me that I was right, the customer had not asked the question he was insisting I didn't answer. And with that, I let out a big sigh.

Wednesday night John played a gig with Mike Zilber at Coda in SF. They played Wayne Shorter's music (Weather Report). Prior to Coda I went to have cocktails with two colleagues at Ducca where I had a fancy Lemony-cinnamon-y cocktail and then headed over to the gig. I had never seen Coda so jam-packed with people. Sadly, just after that gig I found out that this NY Eve would be their last night. Another victim of the down economy. I spent the evening in the company of my neighbor Todd and some other acquaintances enjoying beautiful music.