An alphabet of plans

While traveling last week, I decided that I wouldn't work one evening into the late night. I needed an opportunity to decompress.

After a nice dinner with some friends at Townhouse in Emeryville, I decided that I wouldn't even turn on my computer (Plan A). As I got out of the elevator in my hotel, Myla called to say I had left my messenger bag in her MINI. No worries there, Plan A looked like it was firming up!

Then I realized another friend was counting on me to make a move on Warfish, an online Risk game. Plan B start to form. I called him up to borrow his computer and went up to his room. I made my move and we talked a bit about shared libraries on iTunes.

I returned to my room, steady on Plan C: I was going to listen to music and read my Wired magazine. No such luck there, my iPod was in my bag, in Myla's MINI.

On to Plan D: I would go down to the hotel bar, enjoy a scotch (it surprises some, I've learned, but yes, I enjoy scotch) and read my magazine in a big comfy chair.

I never made it. In the lobby, I ran into some co-workers and somehow we got into the usually verboten topic of religion. We had a crazy, enjoyable, reasonable discussion about the pratfalls of organized religion (why do they need all that money), organized labor (all the money the take isn't so good for the worker) and a walk down memory lane of company history (almost 80 years of history, although I only contribute 7 years worth).

At the end of the discussion one of them said to me, "You never got to read your magazine." I didn't mind, this was much more enjoyable and relaxing.