This is sure stirring up ghosts for me

One thing I do not want this place to be is a crying room. I do not want to vent, lament, recap sports events from the night before, throw pillows around the room or whine about my dying 21 year old Volvo.

I am slightly better prepared to ponder about why someone who barely knew me in high school, who was in a more social class of friends, and who I think did not like me, would send me a message on classmates.com? It's a part of the game though. You put your name out there and people do show up. It happens on Facebook too, but there's an ignore feature there. I use it.

So what do I say to this guy, twenty eight years after we never really spoke to each other? Wow, I remember the time in English class you pushed me around a bit too much so I hit you in your budding rock star face and you went berserk. "Don't hit me in the face." Is my fondest memory of you. Ok, maybe not fondest but my only.

Maybe I should think on this a little more.

Last night my gal and I went out for a fine dinner which rekindled my love of Madeira.



Every couple of years I try it and vow to drink more. Every couple of years I fail to do this. It's the oldest wine I've had. At a shop I worked at, we had a tasting for a group of people from Arthur Anderson (before their book cooking) and one of the big wigs was looking around and found our 1870 Sercial. Later in the evening he bought it and wanted it opened so everyone in his group could try it. What I remember most was right after it was uncorked being about twenty feet away and being able to smell it. A genie was opened and it was beautiful. Apricots, heat, smoke. Lots of fruit. I did get to try a sip, and that was plenty. The juice never ages. Madeira is Peter Pan in a bottle.

I do not miss the wine business much. I had enough of crazy owners who died of crack overdoses or who tried to shoot themselves in their bathtubs. You get burned out on that type of dysfunction. My taste for the drink back then took its toll on me also. Best to stay away from things that can damage you if you can't control them.