I'd call that a bargain - the best I ever had

I've grown to appreciate my family way more. Maybe it's getting older or maybe it's that they have less opportunities to piss you off when you move out, either way I find myself actively looking forward to the get togethers. My father had his birthday on Saturday and we celebrated it at my sisters house over some cold antipast and a crazy chicken with proscuitto broth dish that my sister made.

In my typically scatterbrained fashion I had doublebooked the date so that Panos and Jason were in town at the same time. Luckily my sister, who is pretty much unflappable extended the invitation to them as well. Panos spooked me out a bit by mentioning the last time he had been to one of my family holidays. It was a Thanksgiving dinner that appropos of nothing had turned into a bloosport of arguing and recriminations all of which was directed at me. Over the course of one bizarre meal my entire family turned on me - it really could only have gotten worse if someone stabbed me.

I hadn't thought of it in years, despite the fact that it had taken me months to get over it. There was no rerun. Nor was one expected. There were a lot of laughs, a lot of good food and it all went off really well. I could tell my Dad enjoyed the evening.

Afterwards Panos, Jason, and I went out with the intention of doing some barhopping, but never made it past the Raccoon Lodge. The Raccoon Lodge is located about fifty feet from the door of my apartment building and is generally either the first or last stop of my evenings, sometimes both, and lately only. The place is a total dive, but it's got some undefinable character to it. It's a dive with personality. It's also a dive with $3.000 pints of Sam Adams, plentiful buybacks, generous pours of Jack, and a hot bartender that I have an enormous crush on. If ever there was a recipe for disaster…

Twice this weekend we strolled in around midnight and stumbled out around 3:30 in a drunken stupor. With Tripp and Andru visiting this weekend and Chris Campbell coming after Christmas I'm afraid I might never make it out of there at all.

PS Big ups to Panos. Welcome back to the States and congrats on completing your military obligation.