A Friendly Reminder

23 February 2012

Yesterday Terry and I had the good fortune to meet an old friend from out high school gang in Austin, Texas. We met Janet for lunch at Matt’s El Dorado and I probably had the best afternoon I’ve had in a very long time.

Janet was my next door neighbor in the townhouse apartments we lived in while growing up in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. The last time I saw her may have been 1980 when I came home from Japan. After high school, I joined the Air Force and she joined the Navy. We both served 20 years. We almost got the chance to meet up in 81 while I was stationed on Crete.

First off the restaurant we ate lunch was out of this world!!!!  Their house salsa was hot and they didn’t even carry anything mild!!! That was great for me and Janet, not so much for Terry but we all loved the Bob Armstrong Dip. Janet and I both had the Chili Relleno and it was absolutely the best we both had ever had. It was covered in their house Chipotle sauce and the chilies used were the dried Ancho (Poblano) peppers. The dish had a nice smoky taste and just a hint of heat. Terry had the mixed fajita plate and she was very happy with that. A squirrel had the tortilla chips and was apparently satisfied with how they were prepared and how well they tasted.

Anyway, this isn’t about the restaurant. Seeing Janet was great and it was like we had never really spent a lot of time apart. We spent the afternoon there talking and laughing about things we had done and places we’ve been, things going on now and things that went on back then and basically caught up on the old gang and some of our other classmates and friends. It was comfortable being with her again. The sense of peace and happiness of the moment was nearly intoxicating in its serenity. We made loose plans to visit her again in Florida. I have no doubt that we will.

Seeing Janet reminds me that you can have a lot of different kinds of friends. Close friends, work friends, family friends, best friends, Facebook friends, military friends and friends that are family. But I think really all friends are good friends and having friends of any kind is a blessing.  Sometimes I forget what having real friends is like. Seeing Janet was great for me and a reminder of what a real friend is all about. Terry and I both will miss her until we see her again.

Have a Blessed Day Ya’ll!!

Today’s “Did Ya Know?” Today we have National Dog Biscuit Appreciation day, part of this month’s theme for animal and pet awareness observances. I actually have a recipe for dog biscuits!!!! It’s also Banana Bread Day!!!! As one of my good friends knows, I LUV me some banana bread! And finally, it’s National “Play Tennis Day”. Here in south Central Texas, spring is definitely kicking in and today, with temps forecast in the high 80’s, is an absolute smashing day to get in a few sets!!!!