Launch Party

I have to admit I'm glad I attended the little 'launch party' this evening. I was afraid it'd just be another dry company affair, an excuse to bring us up to date on some problems in the Middle East or Angola, or to get us accustomed to some new techno gadgetry from the White Ghost's lab. So it was going to be another night of staying at home for me, practicing my Mongolian-inflected Arabic (not easy) for my upcoming assignment. Then O.C. called me up and convinced me the get-together just might be off-the-hook. And indeed, I was pleasantly surprised. Not a mention of business the whole night, at least not to me (maybe they're starting to understand why I don't come to these things). The food was excellent, as usual. Gazpacho, grilled Dead Sea salmon and pesto-flavored chicken, made with a genetically-engineered basil grown right in Durango's own company garden. To finish it all off, a surprisingly sweet Thai watermelon for dessert. Not to mention the 'entertainment' provided by a local outfit that unfortunately has gone out of business since our soiree. Their services were adequate, but everyone agreed they were a trifle too interested in what the company was all about. Trop mauvais.

It was nice for the company to let us out to have our little fun for our sort-of 'going public' party. It's nice to be reminded that life isn't all about the mundane. When you're on the road, it's easy to forget that there're other things besides retrieving a certain kidnapped Saudi Arabian princess, or subduing the opium/heroin trade in Afghanistan, or getting to the bottom of terrorist activities targetting a range of Chinese nuclear power plants. (And those are just the things I can mention!) You forget about the little things, the things that really matter. Like sports and entertainment news. And though we like to joke in this business that we're addicted to stress, all of this constant activity can truthfully get a bit tiresome. It's nice to be able to talk about some relatively normal things with the relatively normal public, which is why I got involved in this venture in the first place. Though of course we still have to keep most of our shit secret, it is nice to be able to let off a little steam in a public forum. For now, mes amis....

Bon Chance and
Au Revoir,
Zulu Echo