Years ago I worked with Girish Mhatre, who was the editor in chief of this newspaper, then publisher, then a group vice president, which is about as high up as you can get without getting a nosebleed. Every once in a while, Girish would drag me along on his business trips, quite often to Texas Instruments. On several occasions, we met Wally Rhines at a small Mexican restaurant in a strip mall. Wally had more stripes than even Girish, nice guy and

very bright. He and Girish would get into the tech talk, of which I understood little, but the chili rellanos and beer were excellent.

I often wondered how Girish, who grew up in Bombay, could have this thing for Mexican food. Or, for that matter, how this kid from Chicago, who was reared on meatloaf, mashed potatoes and fried chicken, could have ever found menudo? In the old neighborhood the popular belief was if you went into the Mexican neighborhood, you'd get shot and if you did make it to a restaurant, you'd die from food poising. Frankie, stick with the meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

More about lunch. There was a time when folks would go out to lunch, with colleagues or a friendly sales rep. It was a time to relax, chat about the competition, find out who was hiring and debate how management was screwing up the company. Then business went down the tubes and people quit going to lunch, mostly because they were doing their jobs and the job of the two colleagues who got dumped in the budget squeeze. And there wasn't much to talk about, since nobody was hiring. Management was no longer the scapegoat because just about every company was taking it on the chin.

Now, however, things are turning around, and some companies are beginning to hire again. I've already seen an uptick in the number of folks doing lunch. Methinks we'll soon see a drop in productivity, and the wizards will spend anxious moments trying to figure out the cause. But the reason is obvious. After you've just had a burrito, chips and a beer, you feel like taking a nap.

On a personal note: Over the years I've done my best to answer every one of your letters and e-mails. A few days ago, I goofed and deleted several of your notes. If you did not receive a reply, please resend and I will answer. Muchas gracias.

Frank Burge is a contributing columnist for EE Times.