Friends & Stomach Upset

Friends can be such a mixed blessing.

Last night my friend Ed and I went to hear our mutual friend Pamela King Cable speak to a rotary group about her journey, "Out of the Darkness & Into the Life of a Writer." It was a moving talk and Rotarians flocked (as they rightly should) to purchase Pam's new book, Southern Fried Women.

The club meets at a Thai restaurant and we were served a small but delicious salad with peanut dressing. After the talk, Ed, Pam, myself and Pam's husband Michael moved to a table in the restaurant for drinks and appetizers. Pam and I had wine, the men beer.  We all ordered spring rolls but instead of being served the fried delight we were hoping for, we were presented with shredded lettuce wrapped in a rubbery, transparent, and completely tasteless substance.

"A patty melt sounds good," sighed Pam.

"So do pancakes. Hey, there's an I-Hop up the street," said Ed.

Mike grabbed the check. "Let's go."

We downed our wine and trooped out to our cars, forming a mini-caravan to I-Hop. Once seated, we ordered chocolate-chip pancakes, a patty melt, fries, and coffee. Mind you, this is on top of peanut salad, spring rolls, and wine.

After two hours of laughter and conversation we stepped outside. "This was fun," said someone. "We should do this more often." We all nodded our heads and agreed.

"I think I'm going to barf," said someone else. We all nodded our heads and agreed.  

Would I ever eat such a gross combination of food on my own? Never!

Thank God for friends. They surely keep life interesting...