From: spok+@cs.cmu.edu (John Ockerbloom)
Subject: Food, Glorious Food
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 00:45:44 GMT

CLANG!  rattle..... whup.. whup..whup.. <clank>

Mike's eyebrows rise, as he turns toward the door to the kitchen in
back.  Before he can say anything, the door opens, and John comes
walking out, with a smell of cooking wafting through the open doorway.
"Don't worry," he says.  "That was just me, getting unexpectedly
introduced to an empty pot.  It looks like Grapevine's got everything
under control, so I think I'll just sit out here before I knock
anything else over."

Mike looks at John.  "Are you sure your bot'll manage?  I don't want
 to go back there and find a mess."

"She's doing fine," John says.  "We're almost done cooking, and I'll
 go back and clean up after we're finished. In the meantime," he asks,
 putting some bills down on the counter, "can you brew up some tea?"

Mike nods, and John walks over to a nearby table and sits down.  By now,
the cooking smell has pervaded much of the room, and John notices that
many pairs of eyes are looking at him curiously.  He gets up again.

"We'll be bringing stuff out in a few minutes.  I think you'll like it,
 but I'll hold off on details until we're actually ready."

He looks around the room.  "I do want to thank those of you that wrote
 me after my post on Curtis, and offered kind words or a listening ear.  I
 think by now I've written back to most of you, but there might have been
 one or two who I didn't reply to directly, due to some confusion on my end
 in handling my incoming mail.  I really did get some wonderful encouragement
 from you."

"I've finally caught up on the group, after spending quite some time
 being behind by almost a week.  Lot of good stuff-- I especially liked
 hearing about Stumpy's Australian adventures.  And I'm glad to see
 Taldin back, and in fine unicorn form.  And, Bear, I will gladly join
 in with you in singing Stille Nacht or almost any other song-- so long
 as I can find out the words!  I've recently joined a chorus here
 at CMU, and though we've only had a couple of practices so far, I'm
 enjoying singing quite a bit."

"Speaking of CMU and other things Pittsburgh," (he says, trying not to
 make the transition sound *too* abrupt :-) "I'm looking forward to the
 gathering here next weekend.  If you're thinking of coming, let Merrigold
 <mmbt@andrew.cmu.edu> know as soon as possible, so we can plan arrangements.
 It'll be fun to put faces to some more of the names here, and we should get
 the chance to do some fun things, like maybe..."

As he says this, the kitchen door swings open again, with another puff
of steam, and a metallic arm waves in the doorway.  John puts up
a finger, to indicate 'one moment' (though it isn't clear whether
that's meant for the robot or for the Callahanians who have been
listening), and then dashes back behind the bar and into the kitchen.

"...Dim Sum!"  he finishes, as he wheels out a cart full of food.
Grapevine is right behind him with another cart (whose steel
nicely matches the sheen of Grapevine's own robotic exterior.)

As John walks toward the tables, he opens the lids of the various
containers, announcing "I've got pork dumplings, spicy mussels, sesame
bread, and --- hmm, looks like hot & sour soup.  And there's more
stuff in Grapevine's cart," he says, gesturing over to a nearby table,
where Grapevine has already removed the cover on a rice container.
"And that tea" (he says, glacing over toward Mike) "should be ready
 pretty soon too."

"Who'd like some?"

John Ockerbloom
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