Old friends

One of Joe's long-time friends, Joe, was in town.

These Joes go way back.

We're talking walking-to-grade-school-together type long-time friends. They went all the way through high school together.

Now, one Joe lives in the Deep South and the other resides on the East Coast.

In fact, here's a trio of his grade school friends at our wedding...with the visiting friend in the middle.

Yum, this reminds me of my favorite place to eat when we go back home. The two guys on the left have a Green Mill Restaurant. My mouth waters just thinking about it.

It was fun for me to hear some stories this friend recalled about my husband in his younger days--about how he--with his imposing size and strength (he was an early bloomer)--righted the wrongs of some bullies, how he loved to come over to play basketball in the driveway during their carefree years, and er...how he made just a wee bit of good-natured trouble for his teachers in school.


Of course, hearing stories of my husband being known for eating disturbing quantities of food was expected...and he did tell a few of those stories. So, I mentioned that my Joe had continued the trend well into his professional career as he finished up this meal in 45 minutes.

The 4-1/2 lb. steak dinner Joe ate at the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo. He even got a certificate for this disgusting feat...and a place on their online list of 72 oz. steak eaters (date of ingestion: 3/26/94).

It was probably no surprise to this old-time friend, but it was so cute to see them laughing about it together like little boys!

It was after talking about the trouble they made in school and the grody amounts of food Joe used to devour that we turned to the thunderous laughing uproar at the kids' end of the table and noticed this scene.

Jimmer decided to break the ice with our friend's children.

All six of the kids at the table had finished their meals and (quietly) created a repulsive suspension of BBQ sauce, root beer, salt, pepper, butter, and who knows what else. Jimmer decided to mop it up with some bread and eat it--consequently, the uproarious laughter.

Here's what was left of the slurry.

Yep, that's my Joe's boy!

At least the other kids were kind enough to still stand by our kids for a token photo before they high-tailed it outta there...far away from our family.

Probably never to return again.

Well, if they ever do return to TX, they'll probably just try desperately to avoid us.

It was a fun reunion while it lasted!