a_strange_treat

Hi:
Fun day. I surpised my dear friend Tara, whom I affectionately call "Beastie," with a pumpkin flavored milkshake. Beastie is extremely calorie concious and actually has detailed schedules of her activities, including what and when she will eat.
I believe she would benefit from a little chaos, so I take great pleasure in throwing off her plans. My greatest success was convincing her to take a day off work, get drunk and eat pizza with me. Today, however, it was the milkshake. She passed on the opportunity to eat Mexican food with me on account of her plan to eat 2 cups of pasta and vegetables. As I headed toward a local tacqueria with my other chum, whom I call The Brown Bunny, I noted a local custard stand was selling pumpkin shakes -- Beastie's favorite flavor. I took great delight in forcing this treat upon her. She resisted at first, but her radiant joy showed through her annoyed facade gradually with each lustful sip.
This evening I met up with a friend from high school, Don, who I had spoken to since he moved away when we were softmores. Seeing him was a healthy reminder of my wilder days as a roving warrior on Chicago's South Side. He said that as he remembers our childhood, every time he saw me I was either fighting, has just finished fighting, or was looking for someone to fight. We laughed heartily when he told me he couldn't believe I was still alive! Alas, as we compared notes, many of our friends have been lost. Two suicides, two accidental shootings, an overdose, and a car crash. Peace be with their souls. It was good to remember them over a few frothy Guinness with me old chum from the hood.