(no title... brain freeze today)

Despite the really long hours working in Atlanta, I did get a few chances to go out and eat. No time to sight-see like last time ("The World of Coca Cola")...on most nights, I was just totally exhausted.

Across the street from my hotel window was this restaurant called "The Golden Corral", complete with the whole wagon wheel theme. I had no idea what kind of restaurant it was. On Thursday, one of the managers involved with my project decided that we should go there for a quick lunch. It turns out that The Golden Corral is a buffet restaurant. Not my favorite kind of place to eat, but since the entire team was going, I really had no choice, being the team player I am and all. Anyways, the buffet served up some interesting things that I've never tried before: fried okra, hush puppies, fried chicken livers, collard greens, black-eyed peas...lots of southern regional sorts of things. Very very interesting.

On Friday evening, my vendor friend went with me for a late (9pm) dinner at the Smokey Bones restaurant. Not bad, not the best, but for a bbq jonesing, it did ok. Like any bbq restaurant, it was difficult to get the stink off my fingers afterwards. Several local guys I work with had recommended Smokey Bones because it was close to where my worksite was, and for a bbq place, it was ok. Famous Dave's BBQ was another restaurant nearby, but one evening of bbq was enough for this trip.

My vendor friend took me out for dinner on Saturday at the Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian Churrascaria restaurant. Fixed price menu. Never been to one before. Ate too much. Thought about my HDL, LDL, and triglyceride numbers all night long. I saved the little "chip" and took it home as a souvenir. (The little "chip" is more or less a paper coaster, red on one side, green on the other. When you're ready for more food, you put the green side up and the waiter dudes speed around the restaurant looking for you, ready to serve up whatever piece of charred animal flesh is on their sword-like skewer. You have the option to decline if you don't want what they're serving, and you wait for the next waiter. When you have enough or need a break, you turn your "chip" over to the red side.) I thought about using the "chip" at home and see how the wife takes it. Haha. Yeah, I'll probably get the cast-iron skillet to the head. BTW, the lamb chops were my favorite. I think I had 3 servings of those. Tasty.

On Sunday, I felt like a quick lunch at the Chick-Fil-A, but it turns out that they're closed on Sundays. So instead, I went to a nearby "Krystal Hamburgers" restaurant. I guess Krystal is a less popular version of a White Castle. I'm assuming less popular because I don't think anyone's made a movie with "Krystal Hamburger" in the title. Anyways, I bought a dozen of those little burgers and brought it back to the site where I was working. No, I didn't eat them all myself. I offered a few Krystals to the guys working on my project. Union workers, on a Sunday, probably make more than me anyways. But I've learned that it helps to bribe the hired help, in case any last minute unplanned work requests are needed. "You remember the Krystal burger I gave you in your hour of hunger? Good...can you install this thing over here instead?"

I flew home Monday morning...relieved to go home, but I also knew the job wasn't yet complete and that I would have to rely on the local team to finish the work. What was nice about going there to work on things "in person" was the comaraderie built from the experience. Some really good people there that I'm thankful for and glad to feel like I'm part of "their team".

I really hope I don't have to go back though. The politics and in-fighting at the levels above me were really stressful. "I just want to help" was my mantra, trying to smooth the ruffled feathers of the local managers who felt like these folks from Seattle were trying to pull something over their eyes. I hate the way that the company is still so much "us vs them". Some people just need to grow up.

That's my Atlanta story. Too many hours of work, some decent eats, a night of clubbin' (don't ask)...