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Cool Products Culture

Village Tea

Wrapped in warm shades of brown with hints of orange and subtle undertones of cream, Village Tea is an inviting sensory experience that is pleasing to the eyes and the palette.

Gnutella filled crepes served hot with fresh whipped cream and hot ginger lemon tea was one of the many highlights of the Blogher networking event planned by Jessica Ferris.  When I was first invited to this soiree I thought I’d be eating finger sandwiches and sipping tea in frilly china cushioned by lace doilies. Could I have been more wrong?

Almost immediately a waitress named Carla started asking me what I’d like to drink and made the suggestion of a Chai Tea Latte sweetened with Agave Nectar. Talk about a mouthgasm. Deliciously spiced tea with just the right amount of foam made for one of the best hot drinks I’ve had in recent memory. And if the service and drinks and decor weren’t enough to keep me captivated, the owners brought out plates of sliced scones and real spinach salads and sandwiches with a variety of cheeses.

Even though I’m not a “Her” the ladies of Blogher always seem to welcome one or two men and I always appreciate their allowing me to be part of this unique culture. Hi Jenny!

Overall, Village Tea at Park and Preston in Dallas impressed me not only with their great products and AMAZING staff, but with their desire to comfort and educate their customers. Almost instantly I felt at home their despite it’s trendy and upscale location. And with free Wi-Fi and a place for kids to play in a colorful corner it is sure to be a hit with mom’s and businessmen alike.

A special thanks to the beautiful Bryce Gruber for hosting us and keeping us entertained, if you see her, tell her Eddie sent you.

Categories
I'm Just Sayin

the dark room

i like to turn on the red light
an instant dark room.
fully exposed I step into the shower
a negative I slip beneath the water.

pose, pose, pose
i hang there on the shower rod
developing completely
becoming more than just
an ephemeral ghost
on a plastic sheet.

drip, drip, drip,

dry.

Categories
Stories

The Softness of a Horses’ Nose…

This has to be one of my favorite things. The soft horse nose which is smoother than velvet and has some little whiskers that seem unnecessary but are as useful as eyebrows. God doesn’t miss a thing.

I remember when I worked at a horse ranch in Sanger, Texas. I was 12 and big for my age, but the horses were bigger. “Spring” was a twelve year old Appaloosa that had the most gentle spirit. She was a brood mare and had conceived multiple champion stallions. Even in her huge frame she seemed graceful and motherly.  While many horses are skittish and they will look at you with a wide-eye filled with fear whenever you approach, Spring would only stand there and act as if you were insignificant. She had a quiet strength that seemed to calm the air around her and I enjoyed being near her for this very reason.

Not all the horses at the Bar-B Ranch were like Spring. Actually, the majority of them weren’t. Some horses are arrogant or expectant. Some are fearful or mean, but at the Bar-B, all of them were beautiful.

What I love about Appaloosas is that it looks as if God had some extra white paint lying around and decided to splash it on the rear end of these great creatures.  A splish here, a splash there and when the horses tried to run away gleefully from their creator they kicked up some of the paint and sprinkled their feet and the rest of their body.

If you have never had the chance to stand quietly in the open near a bunch of horses then you might not understand that in this single animal there are signs of God. How could something be so graceful on four strange hooves? How could so much muscle and flesh be carved so exquisitely beautiful?

As I stroked Springs nose I couldn’t resist but to nuzzle it against my face. I would look her in the eyes and she would stare back seeming to understand that I didn’t expect anything from her, I just needed to be near her.  Looking back I now realize that the comfort I drew from Spring was similar to the strength I draw from God. Understanding his strength is superior and yet still knowing that he is gentle and kind and graceful.

I don’t understand people who don’t believe in God, perhaps, they’ve never felt the softness of a horses’ nose.

Categories
Job Updates Technology

2009: A Year In Review

Well, this year has been WILD. After getting laid-off in January from Texas Instruments I have been staying afloat by being self-employed as a DJ and IT Entrepreneur. My businesses: eddierenz.com and soundandshow.com didn’t generate a ton of revenue, but hey, I haven’t missed any meals and I’ve learned so much about having my own business. Here are some of the most important.

1. Never count on your clients to pay on time.
2. Operating cash is a necessity so scale back on all unnecessary spending so you have more to invest in your business.
3. Social Networking is good for business, but perhaps not as impactful as you are often led to believe.
4. Competition is a mean bitch.
5. There is never a time that you can coast and there is no such thing as a holiday or a day off when you are self-employed.
6. Word-of-Mouth referrals are still the best way to get new business.
7. Never underestimate the power of a good website, but don’t overestimate it either. Just because you have a brilliant website doesn’t mean customers are going to start flocking to you.
8. In all areas of business you will have to work with people you don’t like.
9. You must always be looking for ways to improve and to gain market share on your competition, but remember, they are doing the same. So improving your services and finding your niche early on is important.
10. There is nothing more rewarding than making it as your own boss, but there is nothing more frightening than having bills due and having no idea where the money is going to come from the next month.

I’ve got lots of great ideas for 2010. I sure hope to see them come to fruition.

Happy New Year!

Categories
I'm Just Sayin

9 Years of Blogging

When I started Posted Note I had no idea that I’d be writing about my life and all its inanities in every detail for years to come. Did I know how many people I would hurt or humiliate? Did I know how passive aggressive I could be? Or Whiny? Or self-absorbed?  No. In truth I didn’t.

When I first started writing about my life online I thought it was like a cool online diary – and it was and  still is.  However, diaries are usually kept secret and written by girls. They have cool pink covers with a clasping lock and a tiny key. They are not published online and complete strangers, as well as close family members, are not reading your diary if it is tucked under your pillow or securely stuffed between your mattress.

The thing about a diary is that it was solely for you. It was a place to chronicle your thoughts and dreams and to gush about your latest crush. No one could be hurt by that diary because it was secret and treasured.

Enter blogging in the year 2000 and suddenly everyone is airing their personal affairs online and some of us are even getting paid for it. Have a severe case of hemarrhoids? No problem, just write a funny story about the aching, burning and itching online and your readers will gasp and laugh and cry with you and it will all be better. Constipated? Rest assured that someone else in the interworld has been just as constipated and them reading about your bowel lack-of-movement will move them to tears.

So for 9 years I have been writing about my life and it has been very cathartic, humbling, rewarding, upsetting, and most consistent thing I have ever done in my life other than eat and poop.

The best thing about writing an online diary is that I can look back 5 years ago and see what was going on in my life. I just did and I saw a post entitled “Babies, Christmas and Divorce” – my sister was moving to Arlington for College, she has since graduated. Stowe and Sarah Campbell were having their first baby, they now have 3 and a friend of mine was getting divorced.

So much can happen in our lives and if we don’t stop to make a note of it we will forget how far we’ve come. Take a moment to reflect on your past, not the negative, but the positive. See what you have learned and how much you have changed and grown. And perhaps start your own diary where you can write your latest dreams and about your latest crush.

For me I’m glad I’ve got Posted Note to not only chronicle my life’s goals and accomplishments, but also to remind me of my imperfections and how I have to work hard every day to be a better man than I was yesterday.

Merry Christmas!