The Volcano Club And An Oompa Loompa

After my beloved Double Bypass Burger at The Vortex I don't think I ate for twenty four hours. It was totally worth it!

I spent the night with Ed, his wife Denise, and their two kids, Michelle and Robyn. No histrionics... just a mellow evening hangin' with friends. Well, mostly mellow. Michelle, 11 and Robyn, 8 are fiercely devoted to the video game Beatles Rock Band. The kids very kindly performed a number of hits by the Fab Four. Ed was coaxed to the microphone and Denise compelled to pound the drums. Father and mother probably would have preferred to lounge around with a beer or two but the kiddies come first. They're lovely parents.

Tuesday afternoon Ed dropped me off at Big Dave's house in nearby Holly Springs. I hadn't seen or spoken with him in many years... just emails and more recently Facebook notes. I was greeted at the door by Big Dave, his family, friends, and a bunch of pets. His babe-alicious wife Suzanne had a Pina Colada in my hand in record time. She's awesome! After hugs and a quick tour of the house everyone jumped in the pool as Dave and I retired to The Volcano Club... his ever expanding, ever evolving home tiki bar. We sat there and updated our histories... both good and bad. He and I both have faced challenges in our lives. Part of what defines a person is how they respond to adversity. Perhaps that's why I'm drawn to and keep friends like Ed, Big Dave, and Kira. They all have had difficulties in their lives yet have grown to be wonderful friends and terrific human beings.

Originally, the plan was to hang at Big Dave's for a few hours then hit Trader Vic's in Downtown Atlanta. I hadn't even planned on spending the night. It turned out Trader Vic's was closed so we went to Plan B... take-out barbeque! We ordered pulled pork, ribs, a bunch of sides (I would, as is my habit, ignore the vegetables). At the restaurant I had my picture taken with the pitmaster. He struck me as more of an Oompa Loompa than a seasoned BBQ pitmaster but he was a sweet fellow and created some terrific chow. We arrived home, filled our bellies and spent the evening enjoying each other's company. My friends (old and new) rock!