T - 4: The Long Good Friday

In a week in which so many things are the last this and the last that, yesterday marked a significant last. I hosted a small lunch that I christened The Last Swipe, for it was the last time I will swipe a credit card to pay for a business lunch.

For some people, that might not be a big deal. For me, it is monumental. How monumental, you ask? Let's just say that when we left Lee's Fortuna Court, Stan Lee, the owner, shook my hand as one does when an athlete completes a fantastic career. I was the Ted Williams, the Tom Brady, the Don Bradman of business lunches.

I was a good, competent luncher in the US. I have great memories of the beginning of so many lunches in New York and later in Boston. (I cannot really claim to have memories of the end of all of these lunches.)

But it was here in Oz that I became a world-class player. No weepy Marlon Brando scene for me - when I landed here I became a contender!

Susan started me on my path to greatness, When I arrived here 20 years ago as editor, she wanted me to meet and greet the top people in the industry. She was a firm believer that lunch was the best way to do this. Frankly, if I have had any mentor in this lunching game, it was Suzey. And to this day she continues to impress me with her lunching strategy and technique. A real pro!

I need to add that about six weeks into this environment, Linda complained quite bitterly. It had something to do with her not thinking it was fair for me to come home drunk every night. (Perhaps I haven't mentioned that a business lunch in Australia is considered a failure if the food bill is greater than the drinks bill.) She had a point, and I have in later years successfully solved the problem by bringing her along with me.

But yesterday was the end of this tradition. I don't want to be one of those contenders who fights one too many bouts or signs on with the New York Jets for one last year. I want to go out on top of my game.

I may be the only one who comes to this blog who regularly watches Dora the Explorer, but Lily and I love the show. My favorite character is Swiper, a fox who steals things. The audience has to yell "Swiper, no swiping," when they see him. If they do it early enough, Swiper snaps his fox fingers and says, "Oh, man!". But if you don't see him in time, he steals whatever he is after and laughs at you, saying, "You're too late."

Not sure which line I should be using, but at yesterday's Last Swipe, I do know a great tradition has come to an end.