Once a month or so, SP and I have our splurge, a dinner out at our favorite local restaurant. There’s Mask Theatre, of course, but the food and service are ridiculously good, and the wine list isn’t the standard Chard-Cab-Merlot yawner. But the main point is that because we have to drive 40 minutes each way, we keep the alcohol intake moderate, and because of the timing, we miss most of Zoom chat. We had reservations for last night, and I was particularly hot on trying one of their new dishes (the menu changes every couple weeks).

They’re set up for outside dining only, which keeps their “progressive” clientele slightly mollified. Of course, that means that their opening is subject to the vagaries of Arizona weather. As luck would have it, wind and rain were predicted last night, so they pre-emptively closed and let us know (well in advance, unlike airlines) our reservations had been canceled.

We cheered ourselves up by dropping into Zoom, firing up the pizza oven, and having a nice time at home. Our pizza oven needs a continuing feed of wood, and runs over 1000 degrees. These insure a general sense of sobriety in me so as to avoid injury and the ignominy of having the oven go out and cool off during cooking. My drinking was very, very circumscribed.

So I have no hangover, I’m bright and happy this morning. Cheerful, even, and made more cheerful by the smug knowledge that the rest of you are in pain. Poor dears.

Maybe birthdays will perk you up? Today’s include another man-plan guy; the one known for actually being right; a guy who taught the Chinese to drive; a (((guy))) whom I’m predicting is within a light year of being canceled (not joking); a guy who was quite renowned; the creator of a heart-warming family who was an actual asshole; a guy who should have been in 2001; a guy who seems to have been in an inordinate number of my favorite movies; and a guy who was, by and large, a pretty good senator (e.g., his infamous critique of the NSF was milder than mine would be, but scathing enough to enrage all the right people).

Now the news, so we can harsh YOUR buzz.

 

I don’t often agree with Matty, but this time….

 

“Look, it was shitty pizza.”

 

Didn’t I write about this a few months ago?

 

Totally different than Trump. Totally.

 

This would be a good look for me, don’t you think?

 

“AGGGGHHHH, WE ALL GONNA DIE!!!!” said Chicken Little.

 

Old Guy Music honors one of the birthday boys. Sometimes in concert, the Dead were just… on. This was one of those nights.