Old friends.

This afternoon, Dariel told me: “It’s so good to be
with a girl I can be myself with.” “What do you mean?” “I don’t have to watch my
words around you.” “Good.” “‘Cause other women might think I’m coming on to
them.” This exchange happened after his eyes drifted to follow two pretty girls
who had just prettily sallied forth from their
car.

After almost twenty years of
friendship, I finally get a compliment from Dariel. Ah, what a warm fuzzy
feeling.

(Insert hyena laughter
here.)

JJ was, as usual, hungry. “Finish
what you can and I’ll take care of the rest.” After inhaling a plateful of lamb
kebab and half of my iskender (beef and lamb in tomato-yogurt sauce), he leaned
back and said, “I’m still hungry.” He has always been irritatingly thinner than
me, and blames me for having acquired the habit of having Coke for
breakfast.

I adore you guys, and you know
it.