DJ's Detritus

A Creative Writing Class Dropout's Last Refuge

Friday, September 26, 2008

Back On Track

The suspension has been lifted. My debate with The Exec about who’s a better cook will go off as planned. We get together at TCG’s house tonight for an Obama fundraising pasta feed. I made a boatload of killer Bolognese. The Exec says he’s making a pesto. Likely he’ll get the Safeway brand and throw in some chopped basil to give it a patina of authenticity. I was thinking we should reach out and invite some of our friends from the other side of the aisle. Keep your friends close and your Republican friends closer.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Follow The Leader

I'm temporarily suspending my blog due to the economic crisis. I need to go stuff my mattress with cash.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Life Is Short

Too short to be holed up in the woods with TCG, #1 and The Exec for three days

Too short to allow insensitive comments, like the one on my last post, to cause me to lose a night’s sleep

Too short to let a frozen tundra mind start a war of words, or worse, with Russia

I drove up to Tahoe with my aforementioned posse last Thursday. I had to take control of the trip almost immediately. Before we got to the cabin, we made a stop at Sav-Mart to stock up. Somebody, I think it was The Exec, tried to slip a bottle of Absolut into the shopping cart. We don’t do Absolut in the village if I have any say in the matter, particularly when there’s free Ciroc already available at TCG’s home away from home. We also loaded up on bananas and tomatoes that we had to toss at the end of the trip. These guys need to be watched.

The next day they abandoned me for about three hours whilst they took a hike to look at Basque carvings. The only Basque carving I like is the kind they used to do at the Basque Hotel in North Beach back in the 80’s. Me and The Wolverine used to go there to chow down a four course meal for a sawbuck. That’s when a dollar was a dollar. But I digress. As the boys sauntered, I cooked up some extra thick pepper bacon and a pile of buckwheat pancakes. Were they grateful? Hard to say

We spent most of that day on TCG’s boat. It’s really his wife’s boat but she lets him use it on occasion. We made a stop at Gar Woods where they have an allegedly famous drink called The Wet Woody. I think it has peach schnapps in it. Hell, I’d rather have an Appletini, which they also happen to offer. Those three went for the Woody while traditionalist DJ sipped a Bloody Mary.

Back at home base after a long day of relaxing, The Exec grilled up some chicken as we tippled on the deck. TCG and #1 were smoking some big cigars so I had to sit about 10 feet away. During dinner, we discussed making this an annual event. We may have an additional crew next year, unless The Banker and #2 back out at the last minute again. Regardless, the founding members of the Weekend After Labor Day Club get dibs on sleeping assignments. The Exec decided to rack out at 9:30 after a long day of nothing. I wasn’t too far behind.

The next day was spent mostly on the boat as well. We came across a nude beach at one point. TCG sped away as the rest of us averted our eyes. We docked for lunch and chatted with a nearby young couple, who were participating in a sport that was new to me. They were standing up on a surfboard like object while paddling. #1 said he didn’t get it. I’m with him. Nightfall brought a steak dinner on the shore at TCG’s posh private club. On returning to the cabin, the three buzzkill brothers decided they wanted to watch Return of Pink Panther or some such thing. They fell asleep in short order and the evening ended by 10.

The next day we pulled the boat out of the water, slipped it into TCG’s garage and headed home. Other than the above, what happens in Tahoe…

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

College Daze

I dropped my son, Zuma Nesta Rock, off at college this past weekend. That’s not really his name. That’s Gwen Stefani’s new baby’s name. I immediately became jealous when I heard it. I wished that I had had the level of creativity required to make up crazy shit like that in early 1990, when I was working on baby names. I’m sure my son would be very happy telling his new buds and profs at GWU, “Hi, I’m Zuma Nesta Rock, but you can call me ZNR for short”. Since he’s now bigger and stronger - but not better looking – than me, it’s probably good I stuck him with a common name.

We flew out of SFO Friday morning and stayed at the home of my wife’s brother, since he and his family were out of town. We had the place to ourselves. Motley Crue was doing a gig in DC, so we had the band and a few of their friends over Friday night. We headed off to the university Saturday morning, after my bud Wig got down from NJ. He was helping me through this experience since I had been sobbing quite a bit during the month of August. Sonny got his dorm key etc and we then said our goodbyes for the day so he could attend his dorm’s meeting and dinner without his dad lurking around.

Wig and I headed back to the house, threw out the remaining party hangers-on, and then went to Safeway to fill the list my wife had given me. I must say that this particular Safeway was not up to the CA standards I am used to. It was pretty dingy and worse yet, didn’t sell beer. I find the arcane state liquor laws of the East Coast to be quite interesting. I’m thinking about doing a thesis on them.

That evening we headed to one of DC’s dining hot spots, Black Salt. Two thumbs up. Wig and I shared some oysters and several small plates with a refreshing New Zealand Sauv Blanc. I’m planning to suggest to the in-laws that we go there when we are back in October. I hope they won’t still be pissed off about those holes in the wall.

http://www.washingtonian.com/restaurantreviews/1033.html

After Wig departed Sunday morning, I picked up the boy and went downtown to the bookstore. He had to get his books and I had another list from the wife for GW gear. I checked out first, and then gazed in pride as my progeny handled his first bookstore transaction with success and aplomb. We then headed back to the dorm for his next meeting, and after, off to Catholic U. to pick up #1’s kid for dinner. I splurged, running up a bill over $30 for three. The food was pretty good but the waitress needed to get a longer shirt. She was displaying way too much belly for me. The boys were pretty happy to see each other and discussed their college experiences to date. #1’s son told us about his roommates, whom he’s named The Mormon and The Socialist. He should start a blog. After dinner, we dropped him at CU, and it was back to GW’s Mt. Vernon campus for our farewell. A stoic handshake and my son was on his way.