Know

Hi,
Believe it or not, we didn't go to The Place today. We did spend a bit of time packing things up. This morning I had a bit of an adventure that I'll tell you about in a minute.
The song a few of you got was "Babylon Sisters" by Steely Dan, from the Gaucho LP. Yes, it all comes back, doesn't it. The following lyrics are delivered by the artist and his sidekick. The characters alternate lines. It's kind of a spoken word thing.
"__ __/Whats that boy?/I want to tell you bout your girlfriend/What about my girl?/ Well, you dont look strong enough to take the message/Im strong enough/I might hurt your feelings/My feelings are already hurt by being here with you..." Clues: This pioneer musician was best known for a signature rhythm that was copied by many artists and groups through the years. This week he left this plane of existence. For bonus 'Cool Points', name another song with that beat. The more songs, the more points. Oh yeah, think square guitar. (What?)
This morning I took the truck to Toyota of Chiang Rai for a basic check-up. All the way there, I was hoping I'd get someone who spoke English. Well, didn't happen. Usually, when you take your car in for service, you stand in a driveway with a man with a clipboard who asks a few questions and then directs you to have a seat in a room with old coffee in foam cups and a vending machine for snacks. Or you might have to sit around a table and try to avoid the sun. This was not my experience today. A young woman came to the truck as I was getting out and greeted me. We established that I wanted basic service and nothing was wrong. She wrote up a ticket and led me into a very modern room that looked a bit like a bank. She directed me to a 'service advisor' who would help me. Once my number came up, it was my turn to sit at the counter while he looked up the truck on the computer. While I sat there, I was given a glass of ice-water. At one point we realized that it might go better with some English so he made some calls and the fairly new assistant manager of sales arrived with a big grin on his face. He helped us finish the paper work and then led me to the waiting lounge.
We walked up some steps, into the showroom, and up a few more steps where he just pointed and told me to enjoy my wait. As I entered the room I noticed a giant TV screen in the far corner. There was a woman sitting at a computer doing a Google search, rows of plush chairs and a children's playground on a patio. I had been told that there was coffee and snacks, but figured it would be the usual. Not the case. There was a counter with fresh coffee, hot water for tea, and little snacks for the taking. There was not a foam cup in sight. They provided cups and saucers for our drinking pleasure. Once I absorbed the basics, I started noticing the little things. There was a massage chair, a rack with current copies of a wide range of magazines and daily newspapers. In a far corner, I noticed a door. I peaked in and discovered a 'quiet room', complete with reclining patio chairs. There was a man in there sleeping. There was a big bay window that looked down into the service area, which was very interesting to me. I watched mechanics work on different vehicles, noting their routines and patterns. It's a very slick operation. For instance, when they take your car back to the garage, not only do they put the little paper floor mat down, they cover the seat with a cloth seat-cover. Supat and I were joking about how funny it would be to just go there and spend an afternoon hanging out in such nice surroundings.
Well, that's enough babbling for today. Have a Wacky Wednesday.

Peace,
Danny

"Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge
and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you,
you will suddenly know everything there is to be known."
~Winnie-the-Pooh


Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

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