I just learned that my favorite restaurant in the world , Mexicalis, has closed ! 🙁   .

It happened suddenly because the new owner had not been paying his bills. I thought it might be something that could be fixed, but I just got off the phone with my friend Erin..  She’s worked there for 12 years.. she told me they hd to get everything out of there by 4pm today..

everything !

its not there anymore. !!!!

I cannot believe it !

When I say my favorite restaurant in the world. i mean it..    and.. those who read my stories here know that I eat in more restaurants around the world  than anyone should have to . its even the secret answer to many of those challenge questions on websights.. (guess no longer a secret)

I loved the food.. for years I had the same thing.. Veggie burritto, no green pepers, side of rice and black beeans. THeir salsa was pretty good for a Mexican restaurant this far north.. what passed for very hot made it to medium on my scale.. which must have meant it was plenty hot..   If i wasnt careful.. id fill upon chips and salsa every time.. My mouth is watering now jsut thinking of it.

This place has been such a part of our lives.. The place opened in 1995 it has been like my second office.. I have had hundreds and hundreds of meetings there…. it helped me build my career.. and I was able to help many others with their careers…

Its where I went to meet friends…  i was there a week ago

more than that..  these guys were/are my friends..

when Sam died, Nick, the previous owner, wouldn’t let us pay for our meals

there was a SamStone  buried in one of the flower pots. I showed my friend craig that stone just last week.. Erin told me that they saved the stone which made me happy  .

I wonder How many times did Sam eat here ?  It’s always been our first choice  for family meals out..

when we were in the colony, Mexicali closed for the finale and through us a party for all our friends to watch it...  we had tow of our friends from the cast there with us..

they even did it again for the second season.  even though I’d just been an advisor to the show..  and again we had two cast members  with us..

I’ve jumped into  Icy Lake Champlain with the staff at least twice as part of the Penguin Plunge for special Olympics.

That Penguin Plunge story reminds me. Mexicali has  been so much a part of the narrative of my life. I just searched my blog and cant even count the number of times I’ve written about it.. check it out here

Im jsut getting back to the US.. I need to drive by there and see it really gone.. Say good bye to an old freind

My heart and thoughts  go out to all the folks who’s jobs were here.. who’s  freinds were here.. who’s burritos were here

i will really miss you all.. we’ll see you wherever you land

good bye old friend

nite all, nite sam

oy.. it’s 3:15 am.. and I’m just finishing my day.. a very. very full day.. I got one more picture today from our visit  yesterday with Bundespräsident Steinmeier. I put it in last nights blog..but I love it so much I’m posting it again,..

wouldn’t it be greta if all national leaders were as holly as these two ?

(and yes.. I know I need a haircut)

Speaking of Jolly..   I was very happy that my friend Juergen missed his plane  and had to stay in Munch.. Well.. honestly, I’m not happy he missed his plane.. but I was very glad to see my old friend and catch up !

ok.. time for sleep..

nite all. noite sam

-me

I had the great oppertunity today to meet German Bundespräsident Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Büdenbender.  They came to our center so what were doing. Here’s a great picture of me, Martina Koederitz, the General Manger of IBM Germany. Switzeralnd an Austria ,  the President, his wife, and my freind Sanjy

.

The President and Ms. Büdenbender were great guests.. they asked all the right questions !

we got to laugh too ! (Thats my head :-))

nite all. nite sam

-me

ok.. interesting day.. I gave a talk this morning to a bunch of database folks… they were very nice. very smart.. and from a canother planet I’ve never visited.

It was so much fun visiting their planet..

Now I’m on an airplane heading back to Munich . In the last hour.. I made an inanapropriate joke to Madeline Albright abut the power of mediocre men…  and i just had a really good conversation with the former ambassador to Germany.. he’s going to help me figure out what I want to be when I grow up..

all of that pales in comparison to what I just saw.. I’m watching fight club.. and my companies name appears in the dialog within the first 3 minutes..

Ed Norton and Brad Pitt both approve of my employer.. .. actuiallly Tyler Durgan approves of my employer.

Now thats something !

nite all, nite sam

-me

Tyler: “Hows that working out for you … being clever”

me: “great”

tyler “then keep it up”