1. We could have sat at Turtles and talked with each other all day. Linda and I had a great time discussing our families, golfing, life at LCC, and the past year and the year that lies ahead for all the Oregon Ducks squads we care about. Well, we didn't talk all day. We got in a good ninety minutes, though, and it was really fun.
2. Later, I headed over to 16 Tons, wondering if the guys I used to drink beers with at 3:00 on Thursday were getting together today. They weren't. I drank a couple 4 oz. pours of Worthy Brewing's Imperial IPA and pondered a little bit on the meaning of life and, as I got ready to settle my bill, Jay and Sherri were at the counter. I ordered another 4 ouncer and returned to my table with Jay and Sherri and we had a good time talking until I left to go to Billy Mac's.
3. Billy Mac's was awesome: Kathleen, Lynn, Pam, Michael, the Deke, and I sat at a table together and enjoyed superb conversation about everything from family challenges to life in Washington, D. C. and many things in between. I loved ordering the Thursday night special, ahi tacos with five buck margaritas. I didn't want the evening to end. We'll see Lynn and Pam and Michael again on Saturday at the Babes with Axes show -- Kathleen will be flying to England and Ireland. I swear, if I had a ton of money stacked up in my life, I'd fly from Baltimore to Eugene a couple times a month just to return to being a part of the Billy Mac's Thursday evening get together. I love it. I miss it.
The Deke and I also miss our third spot where we put everything on the table and worked to figure out our lives back in 2013-14: Cornucopia on 17th and Lincoln. It was the Deke's go to spot for some afternoon solitude and grading papers. It was her go to spot for getting together for a glass of wine and some gabbing with her teaching partner -- and other fellow teachers. It was where the Deke and I often went to talk.
So, after Billy Mac's, we dropped in and Debbie ordered her usual, a glass of boxed red wine, and I ordered some Whippersnapper whiskey and we not only enjoyed our time with each other, but we got to have some great conversation with Star Kelley who has worked at Cornucopia for many years and whom we have known since she was a youngster and used to hang out at our house. We had a superb visit, talking a lot about dogs we've cared for recently who were not our own. We also were heartily greeted by the floor manager, Cam, who was always great to us at Cornucopia and was enthused to see us back again.
It was a splendid party.
Sidebar: my cup was really running over this evening. Kellogg High School Class of '72 member and my friend since boyhood, Terry Turner, was in town. He was down in the Whiteaker neighborhood, sampling cider and distilled beverages at a couple of places, but, by the time I was done at Billy Mac's and Cornucopia, Terry was back to his daughter's home, helping his grandchildren get ready for bed and fulfilling other grandfatherly duties.
It was good to know he was around, though, and that with a little good luck we might have thrown back a flight of whiskey or something together -- but it wasn't in the cards, most understandably.
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