Monday, August 13, 2007
Usual oatmeal breakfast. Eric's first day—all went well. Took him on a campus tour, part 1. Picked up orange juice. Introduced him to the office. I brought in mini cinnamon buns and mini orange-cranberry scones and orange juice. Campus tour, part 2. Lunch at Ten with Eric. Shuttle ride to Laurel Heights to have Eric sign human resources paperwork. While waiting I read from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Year 6). Shuttle ride back to Parnassus. Answered a computer services question for an alum. Submitted new e-mail account request to OAAIS. Fixed Netscape "software update failed" problem for Lucia (again). Set network scanner name for Joel, Alyssa, and Scott. Dinner at Espetus Churrascaria Brazilian Steak House with Jen C, Nate, Chris, and Patrick for Nate's birthday. We had never been here before but we were delighted to have become acquainted with it. Jen had been here several times before and introduced us all. You pay a single (admittedly steep) fixed price to gain entry to an all you can eat buffet of salads and other hot and cold side dishes. When you return to the table, men walk by holding huge skewers of grilled meats and seafood. If you set the indicator on your table to green, he stops by your table and deposits a serving of meat on your plate if you so desire. When you need a break from meat eating, set the indicator to red. About $50 per person before drinks. The flavors of the meats were particularly memorable to me—I can't recall having tasted these combinations of spices and flavorings before. Meats were almost always tender. The shrimp, while tasty, were particularly hard to peel. This dining experience was easily the most unique I've had in a long time, and I recommend it.