Tonight I went looking for quotes for an article I was working on and I found this gem from one of my favorites.
Leadership to me means duty, honor, country. It means character, and it means listening from time to time.
George W. Bush
I am definitely a W fan.
I think we can all stand to do a bit more listening.
My kid really bonded with a friend of mine over the past week or so.
Tonight on the way home she cried. It’s hard. I struggle with goodbyes to this day, and I am 51. My friend is in town and dealing with heartbreak of his own. He left somewhere with some expectations and had his heart broken pretty good. Now, he is struggling with what to do next.
You always think that you can be rational and make the right decisions and then emotions come into play. Once that happens, being rational goes right out the window. Though it is credited to multiple people. I am giving this one to Eisenhower (because I love him) “No plan survives the first contact with the enemy.” The eloquent Mike Tyson put it even more simply “Everyone has a plan till you get punched in the face.”
I hope the turmoil he is dealing with subsides soon. I need him to find peace. He is such a good guy, and I hate seeing him struggle.
And I realized that this place needs some attention. Not the old posts…but some new ones. I said I was coming back…in an old post in 2018. I guess it just took me 5 years.
I was busy befriending birds and driving on the beach.
Our family unit is admittedly small. It is almost always a three-person team moving through the world. We take the good, we overcome the bad and we (generally) make it and (mostly) thrive.
Trauma has made it extremely important to me to maintain ties with my friends as much as possible. I am a communicator, and thanks to social media you can maintain long-distance friends pretty easily these days.
One of those friends I have known for nearly 20 years. CJ and I met through a mutual love of auto racing. He had a blog, I had a blog and a podcast around that time and we hit it off instantly. At the time, we were both working in politics too (though he was a real player, and I was a state operator with just a few years under my belt).
Fast forward about 20 or so years and we are still in touch on a regular basis. CJ came to Atlanta, from Costa Rica and in the process suffered a pretty significant heartbreak and a nagging shoulder injury.
We met him at a Michelin-starred restaurant inside one of Atlanta’s best hotels. He was his usual entertaining and charming self. But below the surface, you could see he was hurting.
I forgot to mention that in addition to the stuff I mentioned earlier, CJ is also a very talented musician. (and a bit of a rock star). We had a fantastic dinner and my 14-year-old has now had dinner at a place recognized by the tire people. Funny in that we had our first Michelin Star experience at the same time. She, at 14 Me at 51.
CJ and SK have bonded over their love of music, and he has offered to help her in any way he can. I appreciate it more than I can possibly put into words. I guess the whole point is that friends matter. Even friends that only come around like a comet. When they do…you put things aside and take time to stargaze. The stardust that you might find is rewarding and makes your life a little better.
I am going to be getting this back up and running. I have some things in the works that are super exciting.
So stay tuned……
A few years back I lost a close friend to brain cancer. It was tough. Mike was a great guy…and full of life, before his struggle with cancer robbed him of his vitality. He fought like hell. But he finally lost the war.
I miss him. He was one of my closest friends in Columbus in the years between high school and LaGrange.
In the last two weeks, I got hit with two more bodyblows. Jason Sparks, another of the Columbus crew, and one of the sneakiest funny guys I ever knew had a heart attack at his home in Cataula.
Jason and I were pretty close Facebook friends. I loved his photos of country life, of his coi pond and his cat that he loved dearly.
Then, on Saturday, news of another passing, this time a high school classmate. James Eaton was one of the nicest people you could ever meet. Quick with a smile, a laugh and even great advice. I had not seen James in person in years, but we talked often on Facebook. I hoped that next time the family made a trip back to NC we could meet up and catch up with James and his lovely wife. James was a gentle giant of a man, who played bass in a rock band. I feel like he never met a stranger. His wife Heather is planning a party at a Charlotte bar to celebrate his memory on Thursday night. I wish I could make it. I think it will be the perfect tribute. He is gone much too soon, the victim of a heart, that again…just stopped beating.
I don’t have any sage advice to take away from these losses. I hate each of them equally. I guess all I can say is treasure the moments. Treasure your family. Live like James. Appreciate nature and friendship like Jay. And fight. Fight like Mike. We are all a little less whole without the three of them around.
I have been slacking on posts lately, so it is time to get back in the saddle.
First off, I am going to sing the praises of Bellwoods Social House.
My buddy Arianne Fielder is heading up the bar program, and has an all-star staff on hand.
I have not had food, but I have been in two Fridays in a row for after-work cocktails…and I am impressed.
Week 1 I had a G and Tea. (Ford’s Gin, Cocchi Americano, black tea, lemongrass, lemon and thyme)
Week 2 was a Kentucky Sundress. I was a little concerned that it might be a girly drink, but Alyssa and Rebecca convinced me it was basically a Manhattan. Very manly. Made with Woodford Reserve, strawberry and rosemary infused blanc vermouth, St. Germain, and orange bitters (with a green chartreuse rinse).
Next time I am going to try the old fashioned. I just always try to order things in a bar that I do not make at home (and I make a mean old fashioned).
They are also doing a really cool shot program with shots and backs inspired by bars from around Atlanta and across the country.
I have not had food yet, but the staff had a great looking Asian noodle and shrimp salad. They really seemed to like it. Other folks seem to like it quite a bit.
Speaking of food, Linds and I had a date night at Kiosco in Marietta. You can see my plate was full. I am a sucker for the Bandeja paisa. We also painted ceramics for the kiln. She won the painting contest. Results (with photos) to come in a later blog.
Quick Hits
“I didn’t have buttermilk, so I just poured baking soda into a container of raspberry yogurt. It tasted terrible.”
You’re the Worst. Is the best.
I bet your girlfriend loves the Leftovers?
Lemon Garlic Spatchcocked Chicken
The Good Doctor Cocktail
Momofuku Crack Pie
Cool things on the way in the next month or two:
Sean Brock‘s new book Heritage
Death and Company‘s New Cocktail Book
Justin Townes Earle‘s new album Single Mothers
This challenge brought to you by M. Night Shyamalan
This Grouper clearly does not give a damn….
| YIELD: | makes 1 cocktail |
| ACTIVE TIME: | 5 minutes |
| TOTAL TIME: | 5 minutes |
| SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: | cocktail shaker |
| THIS RECIPE APPEARS IN: | Drinking in Season: Smoky Iced Tea and Whiskey Cooler |
Splice the Mainbrace 