March 14-15, 2009
Austin, TX
With a fake birthday dinner scheduled for the following week at Fogo de Chao, the stage was set for Omid's surprise 40th birthday roast in the 17th floor ballroom at the Hyatt Regency. The theme? A deliberate conflation of Persians as Arabs, a pet peeve of Omid's. So, many of us donned makeshift keffiyehs, I cast Tom in a couple of short Persians-as-Arabs films, and some of Omid's oldest friends told tales of Omid chicanery from years past.
The sign for the ballroom event was for the "Cox-Vajpayee Wedding," an inside joke designed to lure Omid to the ballroom (guided by Kyle and John). After the roast, the party moved to a 15th-floor lounge room for the afterparty. Oh, and as evidenced by some of the later pictures, there was indeed an open bar for the roast.
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| Trish helps Tim | Barbara & Bob | Suzanne, George, & Marc | Caroline, Marion, & Others | Ray, Mitra, & others |
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| Tim T., Andy, & others | Craig is ready! | Yaneth, Tim, & Virginia | Evening skyline | Nice view of Austin |
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| Roastmaster Tom & Marcus | Downtown Austin | Downtown Austin | Trish helps me | Trish helps me |
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| Tom & Trish | Tom, me, Trish, & Caroline | Waiting for Omid | Trish helps Brian | Merrie, Anita, Suzanne, & Amy G. |
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| Waiting for Omid | The food | John & Omid find the ruse! | Omid arrives! | Omid arrives! |
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| Amy welcomes Omid | "What, no Fogo??" | Welcoming Omid | Kyle & Trish | Omid makes the rounds |
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| Anita & John | Chowing down | Amy K. kicks off the roast | Omid, roastee | |
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| John brings the Arabian robes | Trying on the robes | Roastmaster Tom | Omid needs help | Success! |
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| Marc roasts Omid | Marc roasts Omid | Drunk & happy | Eman's video | Steve roasts Omid |
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| Steve's word quiz | Kyle & Bundaberg | Kyle roasts Omid | Origin of "Omid Ruiz" | Setting up for the "New Arab Workshop" |