Happy Fourth KidneyVersity - We Celebrate at Honey's in Doylestown

Hello my darlings, Sarah and Ethan, who rented a Toyota Camry and drove in from Brooklyn. My first psychiatrist Alex G drove a Camry.

First they stopped at Gram's and met with her and Ellen.

I had phone off hook as I was working on my new short story so Sarah called Scott from Gram's and he told me they were coming to pick me up and take me to see The Demings.

First thing outa the car we meet..... Eddie!

 Eddie the gentle Bulldog is being petted by Max.

Happy Second Birthday, Max Atticus Cutie Pie!!!

Today the Demings went to the Camden NJ Aquarium. Grace is holding her new doll, a mermaid named Seaweed. If I weren't so tired, I'd tell you some of the things we talked about. That girl is very advanced!

The cat Blank snuggled up to Ethan, whose doubled-breasted shirt he bought in Amsterdam. It also has elbow patches. Decidedly European.

As a kid, Ethan had cats. One was named Sleuth, the other Columbo, after the TV show. Back then, he loved crime fiction, as he still does today.

He mentioned the late Patricia Highsmith, who, he said, had a disciplined writing routine. She also loved cats and preferred them to people.

Leaving the Demings for Honey Restaurant in Doylestown.

Sarah looked lovely. I esp. like her black n white patent leather shoes. Reminded me of an old photo of Mom's, when she and Dad were first married.

  Using the navigation device in his car, Ethan got us to Honey Restaurant where we had one of the best meals ever!

It's not even Passover yet - Friday nite is the Seder - and yet we're leaning.

Honey is a restaurant of Small Meals, like Tappas.

We ordered something like 9 different dishes - plus bc it was our first time - and bc we were celebrating our fourth anniversary - the House and Jason brought us a couple of free dishes.

We also ordered dessert. I always get dessert. After all, I have insulin-dependent diabetes.

I was good all week but tonight it was time to splurge.

Here are some of our meals.

 Jason was our info-filled waiter who introduced each dish with a flourish. I introduced the three of us and he remembered all our names.

Once after Jason had put a dish in front of me, I felt like kissing his arm.

I mentioned that to the kids and said, Dyou think that's weird?

No, said Sarah, as long as you didn't do it.

Oh dear, now I have a compulsion to go back and kiss his arm.

 Kale salad with ginger dressing and other delicious items. Popcorn with truffle oil. I told Jason I eat p/corn every nite, which is true, that I make it with my $7 machine on sale at Target. He and his wife also eat popcorn and make it in coconut oil.

I happen to have coconut oil and may try that. It takes really long to make PC so I turn on my audio book real loud. Am on the last disk - 11 - of Philip Roth's "The Plot Against America."

It is positively brilliant. And when I return to working on my short story upstairs I think to myself, what's the use? I certainly don't have his command of the English language.

 Thin potato crisps with drizzled cheese on left. Eat em while they're hot.

 Don't ask. Don't tell. That's bc I remember nothing.

I am never full. Injected 20 units over the course of two hours. My sugar was perfect when we came home.

The kids are asleep in my bed. They are exhausted. After all, they drove in from Brooklyn. Driving makes you very tired.

Ethan told me they'll soon be married 10 years! Hard to believe. Those two are so in love. They sleep with ear plugs. Sarah could only find one. Ethan reached in his pocket and found seven! When he's on tour, he must get good sleep, so he uses them. I asked him when they'll play in Philly again but he doesn't know. 

I told the kids that when I compose I listen to YouTube videos. Somehow I came upon the blues artist R L Burnside which has a driving rhythm I love.

Currently, I said to Ethan, for my new short story about bathing the dead I'm listening to something by Rossini I'm sure you've never heard of.... His Stabat Mater.

Ethan finished chewing and then said, Rossini is mostly known for his operas like The Barber of Seville but the Stabat Mater is done in the baroque tradition.

Gulp.

Some of the food was quite spicy, but I swallowed valiantly, drinking my water in these very unusual glasses you can see on the right below.

Everything we ate or drank was superb. Sarah drank a liqueur-filled coffee. Every thing she drank, I drank. One perfect sip that would last a life time.

For dessert, I chose Chocolate creme brulee with chantilly whipped cream on top. 

Exquisite. Pudding is my favorite dessert. Sarah remembered I used to make pudding for her and Dan. Royal Pudding is no longer available, so you can use Jell-O Cook n Serve. You never make instant pudding as you can taste all the preservatives it's made wid.

On the way home, we passed the Intelligencer Building. I'd never seen it before, though I write guest columns for it. The huge sign was up on the lawn, the same print that appears on the masthead.

Masthead - can't believe I remembered that name. Another victory against memory loss.

At table, we all spoke about our love of dictionaries.




and our dislike of the Thesaurus.

I told them I'm working on a short story now and refuse to look up synonyms on the Internet as I consider that cheating.

Told them I'm listening to Dark Assassin by Anne Perry in my car.

I try not to goggle the books until I'm almost finished w em. But I was so impressed by Perry's writing that I wanted to find out more about her.

She and her best friend Pauline murdered Pauline's mother when they were 15. Read about it here.

Sarah and Ethan were stunned, as was I when I read about it.

Cold-blooded murder.

The three of us discussed Karma. Which we do believe in.

I also believe in getting a good night's sleep so since my eyes are closing. I'll bid you adieu, my eleven faithful readers and wish you pleasant dreams.