On the Events of a Saturday Evening

Yesterday evening we had a delicious dinner of black beans and sweet mexican cornbread, all lovingly prepared by my wife.

We were invited to Lance’s for pipe smoking, card playing, and drinking throughout the night. We attended and it was grand. It was nice to see Nick again. It seems these days I only see him a few times a year, but he’s always in high spirits and makes me laugh.

The poker playing was a bit unsteady and hilarious. Every possible joke about seeing cards and knowing hands was made, especially by Nick. I could tell he knew what he was doing, even though Lance won the all-in.

After fourthmealing to the max, we purchased some ping pong balls, and we returned to Lance’s garage for my first experience with this classic game of the broseph variety. My first experience with beer pong was probably not one of the best. After Staci’s delicious dinner, of which I partook after not even really being hungry (for I had consumed the delicious $5 foot long only a few hours before), and then snackingly fourthmealed on a chicken burrito dipped in jalapeno sauce, I was painfully stuffed to bursting before downing many half-cups of beer. Mason and I managed to lose the first game, and we became painfully aware of how bad Coor’s Light tastes after being forced to consume the rockies over and over. I realized at one point that I had managed to fill any crevaces left behind in my stomach after all of that tasty food with beer, and one more drink would probably not stay down. So I sat for a few minutes, and thankfully Lance called a great forfeit based on the beer tasting so awful.

And drinking all of the beer that I had very fast, after already having a few while playing poker, I managed to get a fairly decent buzz going. It didn’t last very long, but it was a decent buzz.

All of this is sort of embarrassing, only because I find the phrase beer pong to be somewhat disgusting. Not to mention that I’m really one of the furthest cries away from being a broseph. But, dangerously, I’m down for almost anything to spend time with a few of my very good friends. I mean, I wouldn’t do hard drugs for anybody, but you understand, right?

I had some delicious tobacco last night as well.

After all of this raucus activity, at some point Lance, Staci and I ended up on his front lawn, sitting and eating some watermelon. This is something I haven’t really done since I was a small child. It was nice. Cats mingled with us, at one point Mason was being chased by Michael in a circle around us, and we talked.

Lance came on over to our place to cap off the evening. We sat out on the deck, and enjoyed Todd’s vast knowledge of tricks with a lighter, most of which Lance knew how to do - just not as well. Todd is just too gifted. Todd is a real street-smart people person, and is bound to know all of the most interesting things in life before anyone else. And endless beer-bottle torch, throwing fire from the palm of your hand, the blow-torch from his own mouth. And these are just tricks from a lighter. His wisdom is boundless on many matters.

So, as you can see, it was a real evening. The things that matter. People and tangible things. Memories that feel tangible.

Important things.