And this is how you get a showdown

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A hallway party is planned for Friday.

People start firing off emails.

“I’ll bring dip,” offers one coworker.

“I’ll bring dessert,” says another.

This continues for a while until Christina sends out a group email asking if I’ll bring a batch of my famous guacamole. And being the gracious soul that I am, I reply, “How could I say no?” After all, everyone in the hallway knows about me and my guacamole. They know about this calling in life, this calling I did not choose but have accepted nonetheless. They know I make music with guacamole.

Well, Lisa apparently didn’t get the message.

Lisa, one of the kindest people here at Sun, a truly gentle soul, says she’s bringing guacamole, too. And just like that, I am forced to make a decision — to either back away and offer to bring plastic forks or cheese balls, or stand up, stick my chest out, and accept this defacto challenge for a major guacamole showdown.

I chose the latter.

So my question for you, Lisa, is: Are you prepared? Are you prepared for a battle? Have you spent the past decade preparing for this moment? Do you have scouts squeezing avocados in supermarkets from San Carlos to Palo Alto? Do you have a big-city guacamole coach? Have you thought about your chips? Do you have cooks in Florida begging you to reveal your guacamole recipe (I will reveal it August 1)?

Do you realize, dear Lisa, that you have wandered into the jungle?

Do you know how you’ll get out?

11 responses to “And this is how you get a showdown”

  1. I’m coming in specifically for this famous guacamole to see if it lives up to the hype. And now I hear Paul is going to contribute to the mix so looking forward to it!

  2. This may be worth a plane ticket to SF – a chance to examine and actually taste that, which thus far, is but a dream of guac so sublime, it could be delivered from heaven! Greg has skills unknown to the east coast. My daughter and her nurd computer husband live in SF…. I’d have a place to stay. Ummm … let me check Delta. I wonder if I could get a visitor pass at Sun. After all, I am a Project Manager. ( 😉 )

  3. Greg Bardsley Avatar
    Greg Bardsley

    Visitor pass? … We’d get you a permanent badge. … If you can’t make it, just hang on till Aug. 1, my friend. … And heck, after Friday’s showdown, you might be more interested in getting Lisa’s guac recipe.

  4. Poet And don't know it Avatar
    Poet And don’t know it

    Why Greg Likes To Make Guacamole(from the other half point of view)
    I had dinner with my sweetie
    At his home the other night
    I knew he’d make a special treat
    At least I hoped he might
    He set out all the crockery fine
    With his best linen pressed
    Silver knives and forks and spoons
    I really was impressed
    I said “What’s for dinner sweetie?”
    He flashed a cheeky smile
    And replied “I know you’ll love it
    It’ll be ready in just a while”
    Well I got a little suspicious
    For I noticed that no smell
    Was coming from his kitchen
    And no food was there as well
    The stereo played slow love songs
    The candles were aglow
    He certainly was cooking something up
    But what? I did not know
    As he led me away from the kitchen
    My hopes began to crumble
    When he took me to the main bedroom
    I heard my tummy rumble
    He set me down upon the bed
    And then to my surprise
    He grabbed a blood red silken tie
    And wrapped it round my eyes
    Then I felt his hand so gentle
    As he slowly released my blindfold
    I opened my eyes and before me
    Was such a sight to behold
    He had totally turned his body
    From his crown to his toenail tip
    Into a savoury sensation
    And in his hand… a packet of chips
    Well, I could not hold back the laughter
    I was rolling about in a fit
    Then he held out the packet and said,
    So solemn…”Would you like a dip?”
    Well I tried the cream cheese on his fingers
    His belly button olives were yum
    But I kept coming back for my favourite
    The guacamole smeared on his buns
    Now our relationship’s taken on new meaning
    As we share in our new found delight
    In fact I’ve invited my sweetie
    For dessert round at my place tonight!

  5. Greg Bardsley Avatar
    Greg Bardsley

    [Long awkward silence]

    Um ….. Okaaaaay. Yeah … um ….. yeah …. right.

    [Long awkward silence]

    Well, let’s move on to some better imagery here, shall we?

    For the record, the above poem from Poet and Don’t Know It is of course not from my wife.

  6. OK… I can’t make it to the Sun hallway party. Sure wish I could.

    I’ve noticed a rather interesting parallel. Men (especially men) who write – know how to cook, or know food very well, or are keen on certain kinds of food.

    If you’ve read Lawrence Sanders (as I suggested), or Philip Craig (amazing mystery/suspense authors), you can’t miss their connections with good food.

    Greg — you’re on your way to greatness!

    And August 1st can’t come fast enough.

    =Paul

  7. Greg Bardsley Avatar
    Greg Bardsley

    Hold that thought, Paul. … As much as I want greatness, I do have to admit that I’m not that savvy around the kitchen. Dare I admit that I’m pretty much a one-act guy? … But I am keen to certain kinds of food, so maybe I have a shot. …. Tomorrow in the Middlefield Conference room and spilling down the hallway (because this thing is getting out of control, heads of state are sending dignitaries), we’ll hoist chips filled with guac in your honor, my friend.

  8. […] it matter that my Guacamole Gregorio won more votes than the others in today’s aforementioned guacamole showdown at Sun Microsystems‘ Menlo Park campus? No. Does it matter that my bowl of guacamole was […]

  9. […] achieved a lot in 2008. We had another guacamole showdown, had some laughs, learned some new tricks. But perhaps most notably, in 2008 I gave my recipe to […]

  10. […] that the only thing I’m cocky about is my guacamole. I have won more than my fair share of guacamole showdowns, and last summer, after years of secrecy and paranoia, I released the recipe to Guacamole Gregorio […]

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