"Welcome the coming, speed the parting guest." (Homer)

.....So, there went my 86th Thanksgiving in a row for a new record.  Rho and I joined our neighbors, Lou and Annette for Thanksgiving dinner at a local Greek diner--one we usually don't frequent, and much to our surprise our traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings was excellent.  The turkey was right off the frame, the stuffing was delicious, the baked potato was large and just the right texture, the cole slaw was tasty and the diet coke was thirst quenching.  And now I have to get into practice for number 87 in one year's time.  

.....Yesterday, about 7:oo a.m. the phone rang as we were sleeping in our queen sized bed and it wakened and alarmed both of us.  (I mention "queen" size bed because my ex and I had to share a "double" bed for much of our marriage.) Well, to continue the story, at the other end of the phone line was Jackie Schillig on her cell and about to board a plane for Ft. Lauderdale from D.C.  One day in 1973, Jackie came into my English classroom and announced that she had been assigned to me as a student teacher.  Ordinarily I wouldn't want to be bothered, but Jackie was gorgeous, and stirred my benevolent genes.  Now, that was 37 years ago, and we have remained close friends since then even though time and distance have kept us apart.  Jackie was an excellent student teacher and she went on to a great teaching career on her own.  Jackie became very close also with all of my family, and especially so with Bobby and Robin.  

.....Jackie was in town to attend her friend's wedding and she asked if she could come up to see us for a few hours.  It was about 11:30 a.m. when she called from Publix, our supermarket, and asked if there was anything she could bring us that we may have needed--like a loaf of bread, a bottle of milk, or a carton of water bottles.  We assured Jackie that we were not living in poverty, and to get her ass up to our apartment so that we could all go out to get something to eat.  Which event shortly happened.  When we returned from the local bagel & lox emporium, we spent a couple of hours chatting and reminiscing.  I gave her a copy of my autobiography and a copy of "Paternoster in Condoland Vol.I", my blog--or as I like to consider it, the journal of my life here since 2007 when I first started to write it.

.....Jackie's visit was wholeheartedly welcomed, and to continue with no shortage of visiting guests, we will be joining my cousin, Gary, from Chicago at Maggiano's this evening along with his daughter, Michelle, and her husband, Yoniv.  I certain that even they don't read my blog, along with Jackie, and I am sure they couldn't care less about this shameless omission in their mundane existences.