Smooth jazz and Italian coffee

K is a recruiter for a major national company, and recently one of her district managers sent her a very nice Bose radio to say "thank you" for sending him good candidates for a very hard-to-staff area on the East coast.  Apparently they're working out just fine and his bonus was substantial.  (Anything Bose isn't cheap, you know.)

Very nice of him, to say the least.  :)

This week is "Italia Week" at Central Market.  This is a high-end grocery store that carries a variety of specialty produce and such....no paper towels or laundry detergent-type merchandise.

This is the type of theme stuff they do, in this case an Italian guy (?) walking around the store playing accordion music.  (Do Italians wear berets, too?  I thought that was just the French?)

Their bakery offered lots of specialty things to celebrate Italia Week, like this Chocolate Chocolate Biscotti.  (Are you paying attention Dana and Betina?)

K bought herself some Italian Coffee.  I wish she hadn't.

This stuff should come with a warning label:  CAUTION....DRINKING THIS ITALIAN COFFEE WILL MAKE YOUR MOUTH MOVE INCESSANTLY AND AT SUPERSONIC SPEED.

This morning we had the Bose thingy tuned to smooth jazz on Pandora.  It was a nice calming background to compliment my morning newspapers.  Then she came into the Great Room.

"I'm gonna call my mother now and tell her all about the new underwear I bought over the weekend.  Hey, since we're going over to see her next weekend for Mother's Day maybe I can take her to Macy's so she can get herself some new underwear, too.  I really like these....they're so cool, perfect for summer wear."

*the radio gets turned up*

"I'll be ready to go to work in just a minute.  I need to get me a new tube of Chap Stick.  You know I can't leave the house without my Chap Stick.  My lips dry out so quickly.  I'm thinking it's the low humidity in our office.  They keep that place so cold!  I'll be ready in just a minute....hold on."

*the radio gets turned up some more*

"Oh, and I need a little plate to take to work. I bought some of those Italian cookies, and I'm gonna put them on a plate.  Italian cookies need to be served on a plate.  I'm pretty sure that's how the Italians do it.  Not that I've ever been to Italy, but that just seems like that's something they would do, you know....being Italian and all."

*the radio is now maxed out*

"Tonight we're having sausage....you know....the kind we found at Central Market that's won awards in Houston?  And they apparently know their sausage in Houston, 'cause that is GOOD stuff.   Oh, and sweet potatoes.  Remember when you used to not eat sweet potatoes?  Boy have you come around!  They're SO good, huh?  It's that little bit of brown sugar on top that does it.  OK, I'm leaving now."

*Kiss-kiss. Love you, mean it*

Wonder how long-lasting Italian caffeine is?  Tell me again how laid back and slow moving the Italians are?  Don't they drink their own coffee?

Now where was I?  Yes, smooth jazz and the newspaper.

Have a good day everyone.  :)

S

Red Bull and me, a winning combination

I was watching the news this morning where they did a recap of Felix Baumgartner's supersonic plunge to earth as he stepped out of a balloon at 128,000 feet.  His effort was, of course, sponsored by Red Bull.

Red Bull.  I don't get it.  It's an "energy drink" that consists mainly of caffeine along with a few other natural ingredients (taurine and glucuronolactone, found in fish, poultry, and grains....I looked it up).  That's it.  I tried the stuff a couple of times but found it had absolutely NO effect on me.  It's a glorified cup of Joe, which by the way doesn't have any effect on me, either.

Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz was traveling through Thailand back in the 80's when he discovered the locally brewed concoction.  He partnered with them and grew the brand into the international phenomenon it is today, and made a few billion bucks for himself in the process.  Last year Red Bull sold 4.5 BILLION cans at, what....$2-3 each?  As I said, I tried it and didn't feel squat. Nada!   Well, I felt like my wallet was $2-3 lighter.  Does that count?  I think they should call it Red Bullshit.

On the other hand, I do like the way they take much of their profits and use it to sponsor everything from F-1 race car teams to airplane races, yacht races, motocross racing, insane skiing, soccer teams, to guys jumping cars and motorcycles through the air for no obvious reason at all.   Oh, and so Felix Baumgartner can prove once and for all that Sir Isaac Newton was right. Their list of crazy things to sponsor is almost endless.  Good for 'em, I say!

Next I think they need to sponsor me as I attempt a leisurely stroll through a city park while towing a tiny little dog....a sure crowd pleaser if there ever was!  For enough cash I'll even wear their logo on a helmet or a cape.  That ought to sell another case or two of Red Bull, right?  *wonder why nobody thought of this before now?*

S