That's too bad as it sounds like Blue Star would have made a fine auto manufacturer.

I know they've done studies on how tv commercials for junk food make you want junk food. Much more powerful than that is the person in the cube next to you eating something crunchy from a crinkly bag. I can't see it. I can't smell it. But I want it.

I had a really good time last night. I just had a conversation with someone (Schwest? Shannon? Mrs. W?) about how hard it is to meet new people. And - lo and behold - I have met a "new" person. We were having such a nice chat that we ended up having to be booted out of Starchunk's because we stayed past their closing time. Plus, I don't know if I mentioned this, but her fianc� is a chef (at a fancy restaurant)! And she has offered to have us over for dinner sometime.

Before meeting up with Erin, Leo and I went out to dinner to celebrate the completion of his first trial (no verdict yet, the jury is literally still out). We went to Bacco. It was amazing. We started off with some fried calamari, shrimp and zucchini (Leo's trying to recover the 10 pounds he lost this week) and some tuna "carpaccio". It wasn't actually carpaccio, as it had been seared in the outside and sliced thicker than a carpaccio would be, but whatever it was called it was great. Leo had a grilled chicken dish and I had some veal tenderloin with manchego and black truffle. Then I had a warm chocolate cake with blood orange sauce. It made my eyes water, it was so good.

I'm trying to read my CISA (certified information systems auditor) exam prep book and it is - yawn - putting me to sleep. No matter how tasty the orange spice rooibois I got at Trader Joe's is, I think it's time to switch to something with caffeine in it.