Mission Impossible IIII: Hug Protocol

Today after another slow morning, Tay, Dad, and Neri went shopping and I stayed behind with Grandma. I'd already been far too tempted at the mall already, and I knew that today, the last weekend before Christmas, was going to be a royal mess so I opted out.

Grandma and Id drove out and met them at the mall where we watched Mission Impossible:IIII Ghost Protocol. While this was superior to the Mi2 and Mi3, it was still way too long, and oddly, way too cuddly. Everyone was all about talking about their feelings, and working as a team. It wasn't The Muppet Movie but it was close. Best thing about it was the opening prison break scene.

It was gratifying to see all the Burj Khalifa shots- I spent about two months working on a team for my building systems class on that building, studying its structural systems, environmental systems, enclosure, curtain wall, etc. etc. so it was fun to see the building showcased in an action setting even though there were substantial problems with reality. (hint #1: the Burj uses an insulated glass unit- which means it's got two panes of glass, not one, which means you can't just laser cut through it so easily, and you definitely can't kick through it).

After the movie we went to Cattleman's restaurant in the old stockyards district of Oklahoma city. Lots of steakhouses and western attire. Real deal kind of place. More than a few people wearing cowboy hats at the restaurant and several waiters had eye patches. Real Oklahoma conservative kind of place- the drawings of famous cowboys/actors on the wall featured Ronald Reagan, the menu cover proclaimed that even a republican president had eaten there, and it was the first restaurant with a smoking section I've seen in maybe ten years. Half the menu was steak. I ordered the catfish and 'lamb fries'. If you don't know what they are, time to look them up. Also known as 'Rocky Mountain oysters.' Pretty good. I couldn't bring myself to order the steak. I know its probably excellent, but the peak of steak perfection has come and gone- I will likely never again find a steak as good as the one I had in Buenos Aires at Lomo on my birthday so many years ago. I just can't bring myself to spend $30 on a third-tier steak. All that "USDA Prime" label says to me is "this cow was not grass fed on the Argentine pampas."

If I go to Brasil or Argentina again, I'll reopen that quest for the best steak, but I'm just going to get close here. I am, however, open to finding the best BBQ, the best pizza, the best Mexican food, the best beer, and the best donuts. These are challenges, but it is conceivable I may find them in my travels in the US, so I'm a bit more optimistic.