Monday, May 19, 2008

food flop

So, I discovered this weekend that my friends are not so much into food. I had a little party on Saturday, which was lots of fun (for me, and I would like to think for the other guests as well), however, one aspect of this party was a complete and utter flop. It was SUPPOSED to be a potluck to which everyone would bring a dish that they had never made before, and it was SUPPOSED to start at 7:00, early enough so that people could make it their dinner. However, out of the 15 or so guests, only 2 brought food (3 if you count both halves of a couple), and every single person had eaten before arriving. And even taking into consideration the one-hour cushion of time I usually leave for guests to arrive, only one couple arrived on time. Everyone else was at least 2-3 hours late. Most people brought beer or wine, which was very much appreciated (thanks to anyone who I may not have thanked, and who may be reading this - I'm very excited to partake in the party leftovers, especially a couple bottles of wine that have been calling out my name since Saturday). The party was fun regardless, but I felt like a dope for having spent literally all day cooking, and then not even putting all that food out because nobody was going to eat it. And I am no cook, so this was a huge undertaking for me. My fingers still smell like garlic. I guess people just assumed it was going to be a party like all my others, starting later and being mostly alcohol-centric, even though the invitation stated otherwise. Well, shame on me for trying something different. But really, I'm not complaining. I did have a good time, and like I said, I think everyone else did as well. And they brought all kinds of fun new beer and wine, for which I am extremely grateful. And now I've got great leftovers to last me all week. Conclusion: I love my friends, but I'm never cooking for them again. ;)

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

what's wrong with my computer?

Here's a pop quiz for all you techies out there. My work computer for one reason or another does not show the little arrows, or what have you, that are supposed to show up on mapping sites such as Mapquest, to indicate the exact location of the place you are looking for. So I get a map of the general area of the address I just typed in, and have to assume that the exact location is ... somewhere in the middle. And this happens with every mapping site I've tried. Many times the zooming buttons don't show up either. Is this a setting that I can fix on my own? Or is it something an administrator would have to do? Is it a subtle method my place of business has concocted to discourage employees from visiting such sites, even on breaks? Any ideas?