Techgirl, there was no dearth of good looking people. Interesting people in possession of conversation skills superior to those of your average fencepost, however, appeared to be in short supply. I'll hang out with some gnarly FT'ers anytime before I spend a Friday evening whiffing my way down the vapid uptown chick ladder. That's not really my thing.

I hope you all feel better, even those of you who aren't sick. Everyone could always feel better, right? If anyone feels like going back and forth to AUS or STL three times next weekend for the AA promotion, let me know. It'd be fun to have some company.

AggieGirl and I booked DFW-AUS-DFW-SAT-DFW-AUS-DFW on Sunday, March 26 - starts around 8 am and finishes around 8 pm. If any of you are interested in the itinerary (to join us), PM one of us.

I'm still curious what happened to platbrownguy who proposed last night's location to begin with... where was he?

I'll miss the March lunch (I'll be in Argentina that day) but I've updated the April DO thread with a few things.

One of these months I'm not going to be sick during the gathering... its just been a really bad winter for me - I've been recycling the same respiratory infection since mid-December and can't quite shake it.

This deserved a separate post (and one I discussed in one relevant case study on my blog today). Dallas seems to be overripe with $30k a year millionaires (the guys who valet park four nights a week to afford to wear Armani the other three when they party) and vapid airheads searching for a meal ticket.

I love reading Mr. Dallas just because the social commentary is dead on. (I used to think the same of a certain Observer nightlife columnist back when PeachesBB and I used to party with him every Friday night, but slowly he bought into the Dallas myth that certain money (the fickle crowd's) is better than other money (the loyal crowd's) and thus began overhyping the trendy bars that come and go monthly.)

Ah... I do not miss my downtown days at all - it all makes me rather glad to be a boring suburbanite these days!

For having a drink and hanging out with friends or something, Martini Ranch seemed perfectly fine to me, even if all I did was have two drinks and stand around looking like a maroon. This second detail would likely have hampered my chances of successfully chatting up one of the numerous uninspiring trollops. After all, I imagine I looked like I was being stood up for a date, something that is not generally recognized as one of the hallmarks of being cool. Since image is all that matters to these alleged ladies, I'm sure I would have been shunned like the screenwriters of Ishtar. What I find most depressing about these tarted up, rancorous sows is how the difference between them and those found on Harry Hines at 1am is that the ones on HH practice their craft openly, honestly, and without deception. The two types are otherwise very similar.

Speaking of the $30,000 millionaire, I am reminded of a young man who I know casually through a friend of a friend four times removed here in Dallas. This gentleman leases what is often incorrectly referred to as a loft in one of those trendy places near 75/Woodhall Rogers. I believe he pays in the range of $1500/month for his 700 square foot slice of self-validation. He once explained with pride what his income was, as if to underscore what a financial genius he must be in order to afford his lifestyle. I admit, I felt decidedly inadequate, since I'm not leading nearly as stylish an existence, in spite of the fact that I earn more than double what this guy does.

Dallas' low cost of living has spawned far too many people like this (men and women alike... but more frequently men, I think). The poor men (fiscally and situationally) have to strut, posture, and pretend they're wealthy, since income appears to be the primary yardstick against which most of Dallas' young urban women measure them.

Mocking people like this is all well and good :p , but I recognize that I have my own faults which others would probably mock with equal verve and vigor. Oh well..! It is what it is... :o yawn

How funny... after my diatribe, I clicked on your blog, techgirl. Evidently you use the "it is what it is" phrase as well. :p

Shamelessly stolen from ClueByFour who repeated that to me for about four years before it sunk in.

back on the subject of MRs to take advantage of the AA deal, I need to fit in two more somewhere..and April is full so I'm thinking sometime in March -- Bpauker, if you (or anyone) are doing some please let me know!

I need two more too but will probably do them as "after work" or "before work" runs (can do DFW-AUS-DFW out at 7:15 and back by 9:30 am or out at 5:12 back by 8:00 pm - SAT takes about an extra 30 minutes to hour to make the turn). I fear I can't spare another weekend!

I'm soliciting for one or more companions to go on one day next weekend for a run. I'm tempted to tag along on the 26th, techgirl, but I won't know if that will be possible for awhile. Next weekend is wide open, though, since my trip to Cincinnati got derailed.

I didn't get bumped from my DFW-MSY trip this morning (although I got my upgrade 45 minutes after I waitlisted ;)), so I can't fly with bpauker.

I'm going to PM one of you ladies because I need 5 more trips for the 60K, and your run, should I tag along, would also get me to the point of needing two more.

I vote that we move the March gathering to 3/26... rows 20 and 21 of whichever MD80 is looping around DFW/SAT/AUS that day.

Dibs on 21D.

Studley, how is Mardi Gras? I hope the weather is better there than here. I keep thinking I'm in London, except that the last three people I ran into all had nice teeth.

Well, the weather WAS better, up until a few hours ago. Some of it has followed me here to Southeast Louisiana, where it's much colder than it was this afternoon.

I saw sunshine for a few hours today. I sat in traffic for a short time on I-310 because a float headed to the town I'm in for tonight's parade broke down. Just a bookend to sitting in traffic and diverting off a very flooded TX-161/TX-183 this morning on the way to DFW.

This can be the March Gathering, Part Two, Part One being with BOB W on March 12.

I talked with him last night - her and the person he was riding were involved in an accident on the way there, so they arrived later than expected. They're both okay, however.

We worked in a 757 or two that day too. I am in 21B on every set except the last DFW-AUS-DFW which is jammed for some reason (Sunday night commuters?) so I broke down and requested upgrades on those two (since they are freebies anyhow). Cocktail hour, baby!