Wednesday

Ouch. Must have had more than I realized. Day starts badly when we take taxi to SatComTel and only realize that we were supposed to be at IntComSat when we're standing in SatComTel's lobby, being frisked. Fifty minutes late for the kickoff meeting. One of our RAs will hang for this (i.e., stay at Tulip). IntComSat is the most confusing building ever, organized into hexagonal "pods." We get lost coming back from the cafeteria and are late for the afternoon session, too. Pod F, pod K — all look the same. Momentary interruption when Bonanza calls my mobile and screams drunkenly at me. Gibberish. Hang up and turn it off. Before we leave, I'm invited up to the ninth floor to the God Pod, where the CEO of IntComSat offers me tea. The usual speech about how important this work is to them, how much they're depending on us to beat SatComTel, how stellar our references were, and don't our people all look young! Give him reassurance speech 13 (looks can be deceiving, judge us on our results, ask not what your consultant can do for you …) to keep him quiet. Note the Washington Wizards photos on the wall and make mental note to take him to see MJ play next visit. Spend flight home running Armadillo financial scenarios — how did anyone ever make any money in this racket?

Thursday

Clandestine meeting of the Gang of Eight (Armadillo escapees) in Galleria food court. Buy the team a big box of chicken tenders and then demand everyone empty out their pockets for loose change. Only Ken has none — no surprise, since he doesn't believe in carrying money personally. Newbie VP Mark Wahlberg contributes 17 pennies. Review my Excel masterpiece with them all, then scoop up their heaps of coins into my empty chicken tenders box, refusing to explain myself. You'll see, I tell them.

The Private Diary of Rayne Maker: "Rayne's World"

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