Welcome back

It's been a long 29 hours or so since I last posted. We left the house about 7 last night for a night out of dining and drinks. We then ploughed through a birthday party for our son today and wound things down across the street at our neighbors for beer and football. Life was pretty good. In between, we had a couple drinks down here. But the big drinking was really done at Skeeters last night. A light crowd, but a good one, featuring our old friend Eric R., who knows both my wife and I from different stages in our life - me from grade school/early high school, her from later high school. I think I called him a cross-over friend - a rare breed indeed - who was actually friends with each of us on completely separate premises but then is now friends with us as a couple entity. Makes for an interesting and fun dynamic when we run into each other.

We began the night with a dinner at the old Ali Baba's. I want to say it's called Petra's - on Westlake Road, where the old Westlake Pizza was when I grew up - but I can't find a listing for that... Food was excellent.

The story broke on Red today. Red is my friend who I mentioned as seriously injured earlier in the week. The local paper ran a story that was not very complimentary towards him. He's kind of a local celebrity - not just because of his nightlife and personality - he has a radio talk show as well. Turns out he showed up at this Kwiki Mart at like 7:30 in the morning, bleeding badly and then became "belligerent" to the paramedics who wanted to take him to the hospital. All and all a bad and sad situation and we are all sincerely and really and everything else hoping that he makes a full recovery quite quickly. Quite frankly, he helps make the world a more colorful place.

In addition, this little piece showed up in Friday's paper: "With the plea, Seth XXX, 37, admitted he ignited Teezer's Lounge, 7860 West Ridge Road, by placing an accelerant on a vinyl window and lighting it on Aug. 24, 2004, according to court records. XXX also agreed to pay restitution.... also had been accused of setting fire to a 1993 Chevrolet Silverado."

Yes, these are my friends.

Cheers.

Ralphie