Going Nowhere

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. For my Thanksgiving, I stuck around Ann Arbor since plane fares are so much. I wish I could have gone back to California for the holiday seeing that Mother Nature decided to dump a crapload of snow whereas in the bay area it was in the 70's. My car also fish tailed when I was making a left turn which is never fun. For the big T-Day, I went to Tracy's to have a deep fried turkey and to enjoy some good company. However due to drinking hard cider and eating large amounts of turkey I did sorta pass out for a while. Never the less, I recovered and was able, along with my team which including the lovely Diana, to kick some ass and take names at Cranium. Dude, add being able to charade a "toaster" to the list of my many talents. I didn't nearly get as much done during these few days off as I wanted. I spent it mostly watching TV and going to the movies with Maurice and Nabeeah. I went and saw my first Harry Potter movie from start to finish, which was the latest one, the Goblet of Something, oh yeah fire. For the record, I have never read a Harry Potter book nor, until this past weekend, seen a Harry Potter movie from start to finish. Unfortunately, the movie sorta expects that you have so I spent much of the movie trying to figure out which characters were which and why were some things so important. Add Harry Potter along with the Da Vinci Code to the list of really popular books I have never read.

So what else is up? I forgot to mention this earlier for all you regular readers (which probably all of you know already) is that I got a job offer from Deloitte Consulting. Apparently my crappy ass performance in the case interview did not matter so much in the end. They called me up and told me I got an offer. Unfortunately, the rub is (there is always a rub) that they still have not determined which office they are going to put me at. I selected SF, LA, and Seattle as my choices but apparently they are having trouble putting me at any of them. I got the call that they are going to extend me an offer almost three weeks ago and have yet to have heard which office they are going to send me to so therefore I have not actually gotten the formal offer paperwork. Apparently, they are going to send the people who have got offers on an office visit somewhat soon but I am not going since I don't have an office to go to. So yeah, things are up in the air. I don't know if I am going to accept the offer since I don't know the location nor have actually gotten the paperwork. Oh well, so it goes. I am flying out to Chicago this Thursday for a second round with Cap Gemini. It will be my first visit to Chicago and there is no better time to visit than right in the dead of winter. At least they are putting me up in a hotel and all that jazz. Applying for more jobs was one of the things I am supposed to do during this break but alas, never got around to.

So what else is new? Well, I did meet with Xiao Wen about the graduation speech. It appears that I have to get my speech approved ahead of time so it looks like it will be lacking in Dave-like biting sarcasm and snarkiness. My directives for the speech were to "pump them up." I guess they want me to pump the graduates up so that they can be deflated when they encounter the harsh realities of the working world. Can't say I blame them. Cari paid a visit back to Ann Arbor and promptly informed me that she has stolen all my friends back home in Bay Area. Then she and Noor had the audacity to question my sage wisdom concerning relationships (for of those nodding in agreement with Cari and Noor, f-you!) They particularly questioned two things:

1. Simon & Garfunkel versus Marvin Gaye - It is well documented (particularly in High Fidelity) that no two people can like both Simon & Garfunkel and Marvin Gayle. It is a musical chasm to wide to bridge by anyone's expansive musical tastes. Hence it is natural to assume that if two people are compatible, they must both like Simon & Garfunkel or both like Marvin Gayle. One cannot like S & G and the other like Marvin Gaye. Sorry won't work. Relationship will be doomed to die.

2. The Friend of Friends - Now for you long-time Dave blog readers (aka Vishnu and maybe one other person), I have explained the concept of the Friend of Friends (FOF) before in multiple Diaryland entries. For the uninitiated, the Friend of Friends is the relationship situation where two people who are obviously attracted to each other and should get together but insist they are just "friends." Hence to each other, they are "The Friend" of their numerous friends. Hence, being the "Friend of Friends." Here is how you can spot the difference (Please note the person in said scenario is male, because the FOF mostly effects guys in my experience)

Non-FOF person : Sorry cannot hang with you guys but I gotta pick up my friend Sally from the train station.

Now let's see that how what a FOF person says.

FOF person: Sorry guys, I cannot hang out since I am going with....my friend.....Sally to a Jewel concert, after which we will watch How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and go shopping for scented facial cleansers.

You see that? Notice the pauses around "friend." And secondly notice that no man, in good conscience, will willingly go to a Jewel concert, watch any movie with Kate Hudson (accept Almost Famous) and go shopping for anything other than booze unless he is afflicted by being the Friend of Friends of a girl. Doesn't sound so crazy now does it! Hah!

Anyway, enough of my amazing insights for one night. It is time to start the mad holiday rush. So good luck to everyone and until next time, peace