And it feels so good

[austin_dern]

Just got back from the airport with a safe, reasonably sane, and apparently healthy houseguest. I haven't seen him in person for six years, and there's no way it makes sense that it's been this long, but he's taking a little holiday, at long last. We'd really have both figured, when we last saw each other, that we'd meet up again in the Western Hemisphere, most likely, but then one thing lead to another and here we are. I should've predicted his bags would be on belt 17, since that's what they always are for me, and they were this time too.

I set out for the airport fairly early, figuring I could take the pretty cheap MRT even if it took twice as long as a taxi would. I managed only slight awkwardness by pressing in front of a couple kids who were crowded around the doors as we approached the interchange to switch to the airport extension. Several apologized for having blocked my way; it turned out they were going to the airport too.

I ate a late lunch, since I figured I could eat something at the airport food courts -- not appreciably more expensive than those anywhere else on the island -- and found that I got there just after the Popeye's Fried Chicken, the only Popeye's in Asia, closed. This is the place that's always playing video CDs of the 1978 cartoon series. Go figure. So I went downstairs and got two ``special pies,'' basically a sort of mushroom pot pie, and a Coke Light. That's not interesting, but it seems like it would be.

Trivia: The weekly payroll for the Fleischer cartoon studios while making Gulliver's Travels was about US$18,000. Source: The Fleischer Story, Leslie Cabarga.

Currently Reading: Planet Quest: The Epic Discovery of Alien Solar Systems, Ken Croswell.

Comments

[patchoblack.livejournal.com]

o/` Reunited 'cause we understood o/`

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

That's the one, yes.

[oliver-otter.livejournal.com]

Back when I worked at the health department, we ate at Popeye's a lot. It was one of only two restaurants in town that absolutely always passed their inspection. I don't think they ever even got a single deficiency while I was there. And the food was so tasty.

[xolo.livejournal.com]

I love the rice that they serve at Popeye's. I've tried to make it at home, but never quite managed to hit the spice blend.

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

I never really tried out the rice; it just seems kind of wasting the trip down to the airport to get a spicy rice dish when I can get ten different kinds of it on campus, you know? But where can I get Cajun fries?

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

That's a comforting thing to know about Popeye's, actually. It's easy to get these lingering little suspicions about fast-food places. Of course I'm still not sure about the one on Hoosick ...

[xolo.livejournal.com]

I used to greatly enjoy Subway, until I had the misfortune of having a friend get a job there, and heard what kind of practices they actually engaged in. I don't think I've eaten at a Subway for at least two years now.

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

I haven't found out all that much about Subway, although I'm sure the management in Singapore is wildly different anyway, since, well, it's just that kind of place.

[skylerbunny.livejournal.com]

I don't know what the weather is doing over there, but you're missing a blistering heat wave here. It got up to 38 C in South San Jose, and the temperature sensor outside my door was reading 39 at about three in the afternoon.

The forecast isn't any kinder today. I think I'll catch a movie where it's air-conditioned and I'm not paying the cost of running a compressor.

It may be The Island, which it turns out is probably a better movie than the one that was MSTed years back. Ebert gave it three stars, and I tend to agree with him more often than not. Well...we'll see.

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

If I'm not mistaken the forecast for here is a high of 33, with chance of thunderstorms, extending into infinity. Muggy, of course.

Good luck with the movie ... we haven't yet decided what to do here.

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

Have a great visit!

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

Thanks; I'm doing what I can about it.