The meeting has been going on for 2 days now. Let’s just say that I have another 1½ days to go and then it will be OVER. Actually some progress has been made – it certainly hasn’t all been a big waste of space.

News on my contract renewal – this is progressing and it does look like they’d be screwed without me (heh heh :) ) but it isn’t so simple. To get this approved it has to go to the head of IT – only one down from the great leaderene himself. The head of IT is in charge of 9,800 employees. I’m not that important! It’s so screwed up.

Apart from that I’m having the usual NC fun. Monday night went to Kanki’s – The Japanese House of Steaks at the Crabtree Mall. Very performance driven repast but pretty good anyway. WAY too much food as per – I didn’t order an appetizer (never do here) but even so before you get to the entrée you have already received soup, salad and grilled prawns – it all comes as part of the package. They brought doggy bags for everyone without even asking.

Last night to Maggiano’s at the Southpoint Mall. You know the scene – Sinatra, dark wood, checked table cloths, Gambino, sleep with the fishes, faded black and white photos, established 1991. It’s actually a pretty decent place, only the portions here are really huge. I ordered a half portion of pasta and managed to eat maybe half of it. In fact felt decidedly bloated. It doesn’t help that our meetings are fully catered so you are never more than 5 feet from a bucket of popcorn or fried chicken or chocolate chip & peanut butter cookies or, well, you get the idea. I just can’t stop nibbling. In fact right this second I’m eating a vanilla toffee waffle despite the fact I’m going to dinner in 90 minutes - people here eat early – our reservation is for 6.30! As a result I am moving beyond FAT towards LARDY. I also have a fairly permanent sugar headache, and, for reasons I really don’t understand, what feels suspiciously like a broken rib.