Friday Quiet

I learned on Friday that one of my oldest friends passed away unexpectedly in Michigan. We have been friends since fifth grade, and he was (so difficult to use the past tense for him) a good man. I will miss him. I saw him at the party the day before Susie’s Concert and Celebration of Life and at the service. I had hoped to see him again in December. It is his family’s story to tell his story, so I will not take that away from them by saying more.

The loss colored my day. I will try to create a clear narrative of a day that was not easy.

I rose too early but felt I had enough sleep at 6. Getting back home on Thursday was busy, and assembling that chaotic day into a narrative took most of the morning. I had to return to the story and add parts I had missed as I remembered something I had missed in the initial writing. I am also confused about the colors of political parties: The color red does not fit right-wing politics to me, having grown up in the Cold War, as it is the color of Communism, but Deborah reminded me to just think of the red hats at Trump crowds. Ah, that works–I fixed the text later.

I saw the note about my friend’s passing when I published the blog.

The New Orleans School of Cooking (not what I used before, “New Orleans Cooking School”) package of two of five class packages arrived. One for me and the others as gifts. More should show up over the next couple of days. They are using “if it fits, it ships” USPS shipping, which will take two or three boxes (explaining the $30 shipping, $10 each) for the mass. Each pack has a roux whisk, a logoed hot pad, a cookbook for class recipes, spices, and grits–perfect.

Dondrea has decided to call together the DMZ (Dondre–“Birdie,” Michael, and Z), AA (Ashley and Andrew), and Mom to cook a meal according to the recipes and what I learned for the second week of November. I am considering menus and whether I should practice before the party. One person is allergic to seafood, but the shrimp dish with grits and cheese grits was lovely when I made it twice in class. I am leaning towards sausage, chicken gumbo, BBQ shrimp, NOLA style, and cheesy grits. Hmmm. Maybe Banana Fosters with a small fire. Dondrea says she has a fire extinguisher. More to follow.

Liberal coffee, finally, in my cup from Equal Exchange, French Roast, in my Moulin Rouge! The Musical coffee cup I got the night Susie, Mariah, and I attended our last event on Broadway together (not knowing at the time it was Susie’s last show) and used while stuck in NYC for my coffee in my temporary apartment in Upper Westside. And while I don’t have a balcony in the French Quarter here in the Volvo Cave, the coffee is better, and my roses are still in bloom. Mister Lincoln is now producing nearly perfect blooms. The coffee reminds me that I am home. I can taste Justice, Compassion, and Community in every sip. I recommend a dose of Equal Exchange or other fair-traded coffees every morning; it brings you focus to what really matters. Go ahead, be liberal with your coffee!

I shared the news of my friend’s passing with friends and family, tears.

I traveled to Hellfire Pizza, which is no longer The Rock Wood-Fired Pizza and has dropped the Rock and Roll theme (to my discomfort). I had a local beer (instead of the restricted selection of their corporate products) and a pizza no longer named for Rock music. The beer was good. The pizza, a large one, so I would have leftovers, was undercooked. I saw a medium pizza delivered near me, and it looked properly prepared. Hmmm. The Hellfire Pizza has cooked onions, shredded hots, and meats. Sadly, it tasted more industrial than good. The waiter, Tiffany, was also the bartender and the host. Wow! Talk about downsizing, but I was there mid-Friday afternoon, a quiet time and usually shift-change.

I used to eat a lot of pizza with my late friend and Susie. I remembered them as I ate.

Tiffany was young, thin, and tightly squeezed in her clothing; her shirt was not low-cut, but suggesting there was more to the tattoo that was just showing. In response to my questions, Tiffany explained that the previous place, The Rock, was failing. The owners of this location decided to go it alone and run it without the corporate chain after not finding any help from the central office. She said business was good now as Hellfire Pizza.

Alas, there were no men to be seen (and to describe here) as Tiffany ran the whole place alone. But I am sure that there could have been a guy with a tight shirt who left no doubt that he taught fitness at a local gym. He would be a wonder of muscle lines and strength, with appropriate tattoos proving his love of the outdoors and a logo on his shirt suggesting he loves to camp in the Pacific Northwest. But, again, no men were available to describe.

Tiffany suggested that the next pizza order include the well-done to get that crunchiness I was missing. I gave the couple next to me a slice as they wanted to try the Hellfire version. They liked it. I got a box, took the rest home, and paid the bill.

I returned home and spent some time chatting and texting. Dondrea will take the sermon if I have to travel to Michigan for the funeral that weekend. I tried the show, The Silo, and it was dark and dystopian–not my favorite. But it is well done, and the story is compelling. I did most of the second episode. With my grief, I could not get through it, but I will return to it.

I read more Vampire Cookbook, which has a story set in the current French Quarter and loose murdering vampires (my experience was the NOLA vampire bites involved money, not blood). The recipes look easy and familiar now that I have had cooking classes, with one at the end of each installment now being chapters. It was initially published in a penny dreadful format, with each edition continuing the story and supplying a recipe. It is now all combined into a book. Definity will try some recipes. I expect no vampires will appear while cooking as they are not here but in NOLA.

I showered and put on my PJs, expecting to read more. But vampires before sleeping were bad for me in the past, and I soon put away the cookbook with stories. I also slept quickly. I’m still tired from travel and time zone confusion, but I have no bad dreams. I did rise to prove hydration once.

Thanks for reading!