Amidst the ickiness of this week there have been a few bright spots. Out of the blue on Sunday afternoon, I got a text from JLo saying that he was in town for the week and wanted to get together. After a few quick ‘logistical’ texts, we decided to meet the next day at our old lunch joint, August Moon. (Missed you, Hero!) After Chinese food and life-recapping, we decided to swing by the workplace of Paul, one our mutual friends and father of our Flagstaff family. Paul quickly invited us to come out to the house for dinner and spend the evening with his family.  Home cooking from Paul’s wife , Kim, is always a treat so we gladly agreed.

One of the things I’ve always loved about this family is that the atmosphere of their home is always relaxed and inviting.  It seemed natural to sit around the living room watching The Hills with their son and his girlfriend while we waited for the rest of the family to get home.  (I had never seen The Hills before, and now I’m afraid I might love the fake drama!  Speidi is sooo evil.)  Once the whole family arrived home for the evening, and sat down at the table for dinner.  Between stuffing our faces with roast and mashed potatoes, JLo caught us up on his life as the mom and daughter quizzed him about life, love, and other mysteries.

As the meal ended and people started to leave the table, the dad commented on how great Kim’s gravy was and joked that he might just drink the remaining two cups.  Always up for a challenge, JLo and I dared him to do just that, and in exchange for such a feat, I’d deliver donuts to his office in the morning.  Without hesitation he chugged two cups of gravy.  Honestly, I didn’t think he’d do it, but I guess I should have known better.  Hoping to avoid the after affects of having a blood gravy level of great than .09, JLo and I said our goodbyes and quickly departed.  Even two days later, I’m still unsure if it was pride or disgust I felt as I watched, but true to my word (and after he’d had Lauren check up the status of his prize), I delivered a dozen donuts to him the next day.  Here’s to hoping, the maple goodness of those breakfast delights made up for the inevitable bellyache he must have had.  I hope one day both he and Kim will forgive me for egging him on.  At least for now, I (along with everyone else in my cell phone who know him) have photographic evidence of the night’s activities.