Houston

Like the pullback at the end of your post, Steve. The pullback is what makes it work so well. The camera beginning to slide backwards on its cables, retreating from the restaurant, pausing long enough to register the shock on the face of the thirteen year-old kid. Shock and excitement. And yes, that thirteen year-old kid was you. In this mythic Olive Garden you were multiplying like a Russian doll, old versions of yourself busing tables, carrying trays, washing dishes, eating, singing, and most of all watching, fervently hoping, that the confrontation at the table would explode into violence.

One thing I was considering when reading your account. Ever see a fight like that? Between two black girls? What I remember most is the speed. The blinding speed. It was like watching two dogs (not trying to be demeaning here, just what I've observed) in that I could not really follow the action. They both snatched at each other's heads and then, after three or four lightning-fast twitches, they were on the ground. It was like this. BitchSnatchTwichRoll.

Now white girls, on the other hand...those fights are somewhat more picturesque. They usually don't know what they are doing and their very ineptitude is kind of arousing. They stand there, whining, each with a huge fistful of the other's hair, red-faced, determined, sometimes crying..oh, yeah.

A final caveat. I know I just made a race-based generalization above, but that's just what I've observed.

Funny stuff.

I'm in Houston. Got up at 3:30 AM to catch my plane out. The weather is not good. I have a cold. I spent most of yesterday in a conference room diagramming a domain model for this application we're building. Only the red pen worked. All the other colors left dry ghostly smears on the board. One guy on my team came to me afterward and wanted to tell my about his daughter's chess tournament. As I was listening I slipped into tiny quiet dreams where I was still on the plane to Houston. Afterward I went and had Chinese food by myself, then went back up to the room.

I think I've discovered, at long last, the secret to business travel. Don't turn on the TV. Had a peaceful night doing some work, taking a call from the wife. At 8:30 I got in bed to read a bit and woke up at 1:30 with all the light still ablaze. Nice feeling when you realize there are still four hours of sleep remaining.