Please don't eat

This picture reminds me of heterodoxy's new bedroom, only with a giant iPod Shuffle. A couple of other pictures are here. :-)

Here's to good friends, tonight is kinda special

I worked from home yesterday and was feeling a little blue, due, in part, to discussion in some friends' journals about STDs. I haven't worked out that reaction well enough to write about it. I also tend to get a little moody when I'm cooped up in my apartment by myself too long.

I had a dinner date in DC last night with Doug M., Bob R., D.M. (visiting from Denver) and Freddy S. (visiting from Atlanta). I hooked up with Doug in Arlington; we sat and shared some tea in his kitchen until Freddy showed up. I showed them the funny Who's Line clip that I snagged from todc's journal and the three of us were soon choked with laughter. :-)

After struggling to get in touch with D.M., we left to join Bob at Larry's near Dupont Circle. On the way, D.M. finally returned Doug's call and he agreed to meet us there. After he arrived, we all trooped over to Lauriol Plaza for dinner.

I had never been to this restaurant before and I was a little overwhelmed by the size of the place and the number of patrons. It was an hour wait for a table earlier in the evening, but by the time we walked over we were able to get a table for five immediately.

When confronted with a new menu, I usually just pick the first dish that looks good and put the menu on the table. I refuse to get distracted by all the new choices. I can only eat one, after all. I chose the Lomo Saltado, which was pretty tasty. Speaking of tasty, I really enjoyed the salsa that they served with the tortilla chips. It had a nice smoky flavor that was very nice.

D.M. originally hails from Texas, Freddy grew up in Georgia, and I spent most of my youth in Florida, so the three of us had a great time sharing our red-state viewpoint, talking about trailer parks, big hair ("the bigger the hair, the closer to God"), etc. D.M. and Freddy had a couple of glasses of wine apiece, which lubricated the conversation. I have no need to such things to get me going. Doug was his usual zany self. :-)

After dinner, we left Bob and started to head out in Freddy's rental car, but somehow ended up at the Green Lantern. I had never been there before, but it was a typical bar scene. Nothing terribly special, although it's always nice to hang out with my pals.

Freddy dropped Doug and I off at Doug's home in Arlington, and we quickly went to bed, holding each other, which was absolutely wonderful. I had realized a few days ago that I was getting a little starved for a loving male touch, and the backrubs and hugs I was getting at square dancing and bowling weren't satisfying me. Doug and I didn't fool around, but just holding him was an amazing comfort, and just what I needed.

kenny73 asked me if I had any suitable hiking boots for the seven-mile hike that I'm considering, and I realized that no, I don't. So I'm scratching that off my list. However, Bob R. has some boots he's getting rid of. If they fit me, I can have them, so I might be on that hike after all.

Doug gave me a nice pair of black leather gloves that his parents gave him over the holidays. Not his style, he said. :-)